Newsletters
March Newsletter
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Hello and welcome to the March 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!
Project News
New Publication: “Temporalities in Crisis”: Our postdoctoral researcher, Dr. Florencia Paz Landeira, has published an open-access article in Children & Society analysing the Sacchi v. Argentina case, where children sued multiple States for contributing to climate change. By examining how climate harm unfolds across overlapping timelines, the article challenges existing legal frameworks and calls for more inclusive responses that fully recognize children’s rights and intergenerational impacts. Read the full article.
Reflections from COP28: Omar, one of our Young Advisors, shares his experience participating virtually at COP28 and suggests ways to strengthen child and youth engagement in future climate summits. He also highlights the importance of inclusive processes that genuinely centre children’s perspectives. Read more on our blog.
Youth Climate Applications/Litigation
Layla H. v. Commonwealth of Virginia: Virginia Supreme Court Upholds Dismissal: On February 25, 2025, the Supreme Court of Virginia denied an appeal from 12 young plaintiffs claiming the Commonwealth’s promotion of fossil fuels violates their constitutional and public trust rights. Plaintiffs’ counsel, Nate Bellinger, criticized the ruling as an abdication of judicial oversight, but affirmed the youth’s ongoing commitment to pursuing climate justice. More info: Virginia — Our Children's Trust
Youth Lawsuit Against POSCO in South Korea: In a new lawsuit filed by Solutions for Our Climate and ten youth plaintiffs -aged 11 to 18-, South Korea’s top carbon emitter POSCO is accused of violating climate obligations by relining its Gwangyang No. 2 blast furnace -a project projected to emit 137 million tons of carbon over 15 years. The plaintiffs argue this action infringes on the rights of future generations to a healthy environment and are demanding a shutdown of traditional blast furnaces in favour of more sustainable alternatives. Read the press-release.
Anton Foley and others v Sweden (Aurora Case): In February 2025, the Swedish Supreme Court decided not to proceed with a class action lawsuit brought by Aurora, a youth-led group of over 600 plaintiffs. The lawsuit argued that Sweden’s inadequate emissions targets violate both fundamental rights and obligations under the Paris Agreement. By declining to hear the case, the Court effectively ended Aurora’s bid to hold the government legally accountable for insufficient climate action. More info: Legal matters | Auroramålet
Sagoonick v. State of Alaska II: On March 11, 2025, an Alaska state judge dismissed this youth lawsuit challenging the state’s $44 billion LNG project, ruling that policy decisions on fossil fuel development lie beyond judicial review. The plaintiffs, who argue the project violates their constitutional rights by exacerbating the climate crisis, are now preparing to appeal to the Alaska Supreme Court. More info: Alaska — Our Children's Trust
Students for Climate Solutions Inc v. Minister of Energy and Resources: New Zealand Supreme Court to Hear Student Oil Exploration Challenge. Law students from Victoria University have appealed to the Supreme Court after losing an earlier case challenging the government’s granting of new oil exploration permits. They argue these permits contradict New Zealand’s climate commitments, and the Court’s decision to hear the appeal marks a significant step forward in youth-led climate litigation in the country. More info here.
Events
Law and Society Research Seminar: “No Future for Future Generations”: Dr. Emily Jones (Newcastle University) will present on 19 Mar 2025, 12:00pm - 1:00pm, at Goldsmiths, University of London, examining the challenges of representing future generations in environmental and human rights law. More details are available on Goldsmiths’ event page.
Launch of the Commentary to the Maastricht Principles on the Human Rights of Future Generations: Join the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), World Future Council, FIAN International, the Geneva Human Rights Platform, and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute on 20 March 2025 (18:30–20:00 CET) for a hybrid launch at Maison de la Paix in Geneva or online. The event will introduce the newly published legal commentary, which clarifies states’ responsibilities toward future generations and highlights pathways for strengthened intergenerational justice. Registration links (for both in-person and Zoom attendance) can be found on the Geneva Academy event page.
Publications
Article: Temporalities in Crisis: Analysing the Sacchi v. Argentina Case and Children's Rights in the Climate Emergency, by Florencia Paz Landeira
Article: Children and young people’s assemblies against the backdrop of the European Green Deal: opportunities for consolidating and extending a sustainable and democratic transition, by Benjamin Mallon, Molay, Katie Reid, Clodagh Harris & Diarmuid Torney
Article: Promoting Food Security and Biodiversity Restoration: Insights from Kenyan Youth Climate Change Activists, by Emmanuel Simiyu Wanjala.
Article: Engaging Young People in Action on Climate as a Public Health Issue, by Grace Arnot, Hannah Pitt, Simone McCarthy & Samantha Thomas
Article: Tendencias en los litigios ecológicos y climáticos en américa latina: casos seleccionados, by Observatorio de Litigación Ecológica y Climática de América Latina.
Article: Young and invisible in a time of polycrisis: reframing the problem and finding solutions, by Judith Bessant & Rob Watts.
Article: Youth arts pedagogy for climate justice: radical relationality and interspecies poiesis in a yet-to-be-known world, by Victoria Derr, Julie Johnson, Bryoni Trezise, Claire Edwards, Karen Witten, Chelsea Hackett, Vic McEwan & Beth Osnes
Article: Cascading impacts of climate change on child survival and health in Africa, by Loan Diep, Samuel Godfrey, Farai Tunhuma, Luiza C. Campos, Monica Lakhanpaul & Priti Parikh
Book Chapter: Expanding the Notion of ‘Best Interests’ in the UNCRC to Include Future Generations of Children, by Susan E. Zinner.