Newsletters
April Newsletter
This newsletter was first sent by email to the members of our Research Network. If you would like to be part of it, sign up here.
Hello and welcome to the April edition of our Youth Climate Justice Research Network newsletter!
This network, born from the Youth Climate Justice project at University College Cork, led by Prof. Aoife Daly and funded by the European Research Council (ERC), thrives thanks to your active participation and collaboration. This newsletter is prepared by Florencia Paz Landeira. For more about the project and our team, feel free to visit our website. You can also watch the recordings of all our online research forum here!
If you have any events, publications, or opportunities you’d like featured in the March edition, please email youthclimatejustice@ucc.ie by May 12th with ‘Research Network Newsletter’ in the subject line.
Project News
Child/Youth Participation, Climate Action, and Success in a Climate Case: On May 21 (1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. Ireland/UK time), the Youth Climate Justice project (University College Cork) jointly with the Sabin Centre (Columbia University) will host an online event exploring how children and young people are shaping climate litigation around the world. Featuring academics, practitioners, and youth litigants—including speakers from Our Children’s Trust, Ecojustice Canada, University of Amsterdam, the Cancel Coal case, the Aurora case, and Álvarez v. Perú—this half-day gathering will discuss strategies for meaningful youth engagement, new insights from social research, and how to define “success” in climate litigation beyond legal victories. See more and join here.
Alongside this event, at the Youth Climate Justice project, we are currently interviewing lawyers (sign up here), young litigants (sign up here), and judges and others (sign up here) to better understand how legal systems can support young people in the fight for climate justice. Please help us by taking part or sharing these links!
Youth Climate Justice Nepal—Fieldwork Successfully Completed!: Our Postdoctoral Researcher, Dr. Nabin Maharjan, recently concluded fieldwork in Nepal, engaging with children and young people on the frontlines of climate impacts. The research wrapped up with a closing event/exhibition that showcased participants’ experiences and highlighted the urgent challenges facing local communities. Read about the insights gained and the project’s next steps in our blog post here.
When Children Sue—My Journey for Climate Justice in Peru: In another compelling blog entry, Emilia, member of our Young Advisory Team, shares her personal experiences navigating climate litigation in Peru, highlighting the challenges and triumphs of involving children in legal actions. Read the full story here.
New Piece by Prof. Aoife Daly & Liesl Muller on the impact of Juliana: Our Principal Investigator Prof. Aoife Daly, together with PhD Researcher Liesl Muller, published a piece on RTÉ Brainstorm about the groundbreaking nature of Juliana v. United States and how such legal actions are reshaping both environmental law and the broader understanding of children’s rights. Read more here.
Youth Climate Applications/Litigation
Juliana v. United States: On March 24, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the “Juliana 21” petition for certiorari, ending a decade-long battle to have their claims heard in federal court. Though the merits remain untested, this landmark youth-led case has inspired more than 60 similar climate lawsuits worldwide. The plaintiffs are now exploring international venues for children’s climate rights, continuing their fight beyond U.S. borders. Read the press release here.
Natalie R. v. State of Utah: On March 20, 2025, the Utah Supreme Court issued a partial win for the youth plaintiffs, ruling that state agencies are not obligated to approve fossil fuel projects and reversing the lower court’s dismissal of the case. The youth can now amend their complaint to show how Utah’s fossil fuel promotion endangers their constitutional rights, with the Court emphasising that officials have broad discretion to reject harmful projects. Read the press release here.
Genesis B. v. United States Environmental Protection Agency: On February 11, 2025, Judge Fitzgerald dismissed this youth-led case without allowing the presentation of evidence on children’s unique vulnerability to climate pollution. The plaintiffs, who contend that EPA policies are fuelling the climate crisis, filed a notice of appeal on April 10 and are seeking a fair chance to make their case at trial. Read more here.
Sagoonick v. State of Alaska II: After their challenge to Alaska’s $44 billion LNG project was dismissed, the youth plaintiffs appealed to the Alaska Supreme Court in April 2025. They also asked the Court to halt the state’s rushed transfer of the project to a private developer until their constitutional claims are heard. Their ultimate goal is to prevent further fossil fuel expansion that jeopardises Alaska’s children. Read more here.
Greenpeace Nordic and Nature & Youth v. Energy Ministry (The North Sea Fields Case): In a landmark decision, the Norwegian Supreme Court ruled certain oil and gas fields illegal, effectively halting their development. Greenpeace and Naturvernforbundet welcomed this outcome, calling it a major win for youth plaintiffs who argued that these projects threaten both the climate and young people’s futures. This ruling adds to a global trend of courts acknowledging children’s and youth’s rights in environmental and climate cases. More info here.
Climate facts!
Have you ever heard of a keystone species? These are species who have "a disproportionately large influence on their ecosystem relative to how many of them there are." (WWF, 2015). When a keystone species is threatened or goes extinct, this has cascading negative effects on the other species who live within the same ecosystem, possibly leading to ecosystem collapse.
Salmon are a keystone species, playing an important role for the health of the animals and plants living on both land and in oceans/rivers. Salmon are known for the long journeys they take from the salty ocean through upstream freshwater rapids to make their way to their spawning grounds. Salmon make their way upriver by jumping, using a special set of muscles. In fact, the highest recorded jump from a salmon is over 3.5 metres (Eden River Trust, 2025)!
Learn more about other keystone species here!
Open Calls and Events
Human Rights Defenders Working on Climate Change and a Just Transition – Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders: A call for inputs to inform the Special Rapporteur’s report on defenders working on climate change and a just transition, to be presented to the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in October 2025. Deadline: April 30, 2025. See more here.
Draft General Comment No. 27 on Children’s Right to Access to Justice and to an Effective Remedy: The Committee on the Rights of the Child invites submissions on this new draft general comment addressing children’s access to justice and remedies. Deadline: June 30, 2025. See more here.
University College Cork Law and the Environment 2025 – 21st Annual Conference (in-person, Cork, Ireland): Returning to UCC this May, Law and the Environment is celebrating its 21st year as a leading forum for legal developments in environmental law, regulation, and policy. This year’s conference takes place on May 1, 2025, focusing on “Reframing Environmental Law for Accountability, Circularity, Sustainability and Justice.” See more here.
Publications
Article: Universal right to a safe and healthy environment and use of child right strategic litigation in climate justice, by Sajid Ali and Abida Yasin.
Article: Super Wicked Problems and Super Wicked Failures. Reflecting on the Role of the CRC Committee in the Wake of the Climate Change Crisis in Africa, by Tlholohelo Lehlekiso.
Article: Relationships Between Activist Groups and Political Parties Shaping the Portuguese Climate Movement: Dynamics of Resistance and Collaboration, by Juliana Diógenes-Lima, Ana Garcia, Dora Rebelo, Maria Fernandes-Jesus and Carla Malafaia.
Article: “Feeling your emotions is an act of rebellion:” How climate cafés across Canada support youth wellbeing during the climate crisis, by Madison E. Cooper, Ashlee Cunsolo, Breanne Aylward, Shelby S. Yamamoto and Sherilee L. Harper.
Blog: La Oroya – Assessing Human Rights Obligations, by Dean Kristen Boon and Nickolas Eburne, ABILA.
Book Chapter: Youth Climate Action and Education: Children’s Rights and Epistemic Justice, by Carrie Karsgaard.
Policy Brief: Children’s climate participation and voice: Games as a way to amplify children’s participatory rights in Ireland, by Gabriela Martínez Sainz, Marijke Rebel, Olga Ioannidou, Ítalo Sousa de Sena, and Chiara Cocco.
Study: Continental Study On Climate Change and Children Rights in Africa, ACERWC.
Report: Symposium Report “Young People, Democracy and Climate Action”, by Youth Partnership.
Resource: Hope for Children Through Climate Justice: Legal Tools to Hold Financiers Accountable, by the Churches’ Commitments to Children programme of the World Council of Churches (WCC).