Newsletters
September 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.
PROJECT NEWS
The Youth Climate Justice project is proud to announce the 1st International Conference on Child/Youth-Friendly Climate Justice: Progress and Opportunities, taking place on September 30 – October 1, 2024, at University College Cork.
We are honoured to welcome a distinguished lineup of keynote speakers, including Ann Skelton, Chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of the Child; Aoife Nolan, President of the Council of Europe’s European Committee of Social Rights; Karabo Ozah, Director at the Centre for Child Law at the University of Pretoria; Helen Stalford, Professor of Law at the University of Liverpool; Ursula Kilkelly, Professor of Law at University College Cork; Sumaya Mohammed, co-founder of the Students Climate Action Network and Climate Youth Artivists; and Bruce Adamson, human rights lawyer and Fellow at Cattanach (and former Children and Young People's Commissioner of Scotland).
For this conference, an in-person and online programme will run simultaneously. For more information about the event, including the detailed programmes, keynote speakers and registrations, visit the website.
CLIMATE FACTS
During our first Online Research Forum, one of our youngest network members, Hannie, voiced her interest in learning more about seals, which sparked this new and exciting addition to the newsletter: Climate facts!
Ireland is home to over 100 different species of bee who all help to fertilise flowers and other plants, along with critters like moths and hoverflies. As the leaves start changing colours and the cool weather arrives in Ireland, the pollinators are preparing to hibernate. Have you ever wondered where the buzzing Bumblebees go for the winter months? While majority of the males and female workers die throughout Autumn, the queens hibernate underground, in soil banks, slopes and even your flowerpots! Learn more about bees and other pollinators in Ireland and the conservation efforts being made to protect these invaluable creatures here: https://pollinators.ie/record-pollinators/bees/
NEXT ONLINE RESEARCH FORUM
Our next online research forum will be on Thursday, September 26th at 1pm (UTC). Débora Gerbaudo-Suárez will be presenting on “Youth alliances and intersectionality of climate justice in Buenos Aires, Argentina”.
Débora Gerbaudo-Suárez holds a Ph.D. in Social Anthropology from the National University of San Martin (UNSAM) and is a fellow of the National Research Council, Argentina (CONICET). She has been conducting ethnographic fieldwork with migrant youth activists in Buenos Aires since 2012 and studies the intersection between migration, generations and climate change. She is currently co-coordinator of the Participatory Action Research Program on Migration, Gender and Environment of the IDAES School.
The recording of our previous research forum with Ruona Qi on “Indigenous People's Rights in the Territorialization Process of World Heritage Sites in Inner Mongolia, China” is available here.
YOUTH CLIAMTE APPLICATIONS/LITIGATIONS
Finnish NGOs and youth groups, including Finnish Sámi Youth, are suing the government for failing to meet its climate commitments under Finland’s Climate Act and international human rights obligations. The lawsuit argues that insufficient actions on reducing emissions from forestry, agriculture, and transport threaten Finland's goal to become climate neutral by 2035. The case builds on a recent European Court of Human Rights ruling that states must take adequate climate measures to protect human rights. Read more here.
Friends of the Irish Environment v. the Irish Government, A grandfather, a student and young climate activist, and a toddler are leading a legal challenge against the Irish government over its failure to act on climate change. Represented by the Centre for Environmental Justice, they argue that the government’s 2023 Climate Action Plan doesn’t meet legal obligations for emission reductions, potentially infringing on the rights of future generations. This legal challenge could push for greater accountability in Ireland's climate policy. Read more here.
Juliana v. U.S.: The 21 youth plaintiffs have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a Ninth Circuit ruling that blocked their landmark climate lawsuit. This petition argues the court abused its authority by halting their trial. The plaintiffs emphasize their right to seek judicial protection from climate harm and have also urged the Biden administration to engage in settlement talks. Their decade-long legal battle highlights the unprecedented opposition they've faced from the Department of Justice. Read more about the case here.
Natalie R. V. State of Utah: On September 4, 2024, youth plaintiffs argued before the Utah Supreme Court that state laws promoting fossil fuel development violate their constitutional right to life, contributing to harmful air quality and climate conditions. It marked the first time a high court in the United States has explored the right to life in the context of climate harms to children. The court's ruling on whether the case will proceed to trial is pending. Read more here.
Woodpecker et al. v. South Korea: South Korea’s Constitutional Court ruled the government’s inadequate climate action unconstitutional in a landmark case led by youth litigants. The decision underscores the state’s responsibility to protect the rights of children and future generations, emphasizing that failing to address climate change violates these rights. The plaintiffs include over 60 children, including the world’s youngest plaintiff, a 20-week-old embryo nicknamed ‘Woodpecker’. Read more here.
OPEN CALLS
The Research Committee "Sociology of Childhood" invites the submission of abstracts for the various sessions organized within the framework of the ISA Forum of Sociology "Knowing Justice in the Anthropocene," which will take place in Morocco from July 6 to 11, 2025. For more information, click here.
Symbiosis Law School, Pune announces the Collaborative Online Integrated Learning (COIL) course on Transnational Climate Change Justice, 2024-25, under the JEAN MONNET CHAIR EU Climate Justice Law, Governance, Management & Policy (EUC-LAMP). In case of any queries, feel free to reach out to tamanna.chachlani@symlaw.ac.in. To express your interest, kindly reach out to director@symlaw.ac.in
PUBLICATIONS
Article: Do Teenagers Believe in Anthropogenic Climate Change and Take Action to Tackle It?, by Sema Seker, Elvan Sahin, Esme Hacıeminoğlu and Sinem Demirci.
Article: Children’s Rights and the Pursuit of Intergenerational Climate Justice in Nigeria, by Grace Arowolo.
Article: Exploring children’s despair in the face of climate change, by Catherine Malboeuf-Hurtubise, David Lefrançois, Marc-André Éthier, Jonathan Smith, Terra Léger-Goodes & Catherine M. Herba.
Article: Developing Disobedience: A Decolonial Childist Perspective on School Strikes for Climate Justice, by Tanu Biswas and Liola Nike Mattheis.
Blog: In-Depth Look: Youth Climate Lawsuit Takes on Japan's Power Industry, by Loes van Dijk.
Book: Handbook of Children and Youth Studies | SpringerLink, edited by Johanna Wyn, Helen Cahill, Hernán Cuervo. This comprehensive volume includes notable chapters related to youth climate justice such as:
- Atmospheres of Youth Climate Justice Activism: Movements of Affective Political Participation, by David Rousell, Eve Mayes & Blanche Verlie.
- Beyond Climate Strikes: Intersectionality and Environmental Care, by Catherine Walker & Ellen van Holstein.
- Re-conceptualizing the Political Agency of Young Children in the Anthropocene, by Kirsi Yliniva & Kristiina Brunila.
- Young People and the Promise of Sustainable Futures: Rethinking Learning in/for the Anthropocene, by Peter Kelly, James Goring & Seth Brown.
- Young People Learning Climate Justice: Education Beyond Schooling Through Youth-Led Climate Justice Activism, by Eva Mayes.
Book chapter: Children as agents of change to reach the water security sustainable development goal in the climate crisis, by Martina Angela Caretta and Bronwyn Hayward.