March Newsletter

18 Dec 2025

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 March edition of our Youth Climate Justice Research Network newsletter!

This network is supported by the Youth Climate Justice project at University College Cork. The project is led by Prof. Aoife Daly and funded by the European Research Council (ERC). For more about the project and our team, feel free to visit our website. You can also watch the recordings of our online research forums here!

PROJECT NEWS

Youth Climate Justice Workshop Methodology: Our PI, Aoife Daly, has published a new piece on the YCJ website reflecting on the methodology developed for youth climate justice workshops within the project. The post outlines the participatory and arts-based approaches used to explore children’s perspectives on climate justice and children’s rights. Read more here.

Intersectionality Panel at UCC World Peace Festival: Our PI, Aoife Daly, spoke at an intersectional panel discussion hosted by the Global Justice Society at University College Cork as part of the UCC World Peace Festival (13 March 2026). The panel explored links between personal development, community development, environmental welfare, and animal welfare.

Contribute to the YCJ Blog: We welcome contributions to the Youth Climate Justice blog from researchers, practitioners, activists, and young people interested in youth climate justice. We encourage submissions in a variety of formats (short reflections, commentary, creative pieces, or research insights), and especially welcome contributions from children and young people. If you would like to contribute, please email youthclimatejustice@ucc.ie with the subject line “YCJ Blog.” Read the past blog entries here.

Follow Us on Bluesky: We are now on Bluesky (we are no longer on X). Follow the project at https://bsky.app/profile/youthclimatej.bsky.social. You can also keep up with project updates on LinkedIn and Instagram.

YOUTH CLIMATE LITIGATION/APLICATION

Sagoonick v. State of Alaska II: Youth plaintiffs presented oral arguments before the Alaska Supreme Court on 4 March 2026, asking the Court to reverse the dismissal of their constitutional climate case challenging the State’s support for the Alaska LNG Project. They argue that laws mandating the project violate their rights to due process, equal access to public trust resources, and a climate system capable of sustaining human life. The parties are now awaiting the Court’s decision. Watch the court’s recording of oral arguments here.

Genesis v. EPA: Youth plaintiffs presented oral arguments before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on 5 March 2026 in their constitutional challenge against the United States Environmental Protection Agency. They argue that the EPA unlawfully discounts the value of children’s lives and futures when regulating climate pollution, violating their right to equal protection. A decision is expected in the coming months. Watch the court’s recording of oral arguments here. 

Lighthiser v. Trump: Youth plaintiffs are preparing for oral arguments before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit scheduled for 13 April 2026. They are asking the Court to allow their constitutional challenge to executive orders expanding fossil fuel development and restricting renewable energy and climate science to proceed on the merits.

OPEN CALLS AND EVENTS

Call for Input: The Institute for Inspiring Children’s Futures invites contributions from children and young people to inform the UN Special Rapporteur’s report on transforming food systems to protect human rights and address climate change. Submissions close 16 March 2026 (if possible). Details here.

Applications Open: The EURIP Graduate School at the Learning Planet Institute invites applications for its interdisciplinary programmes addressing global sustainability challenges. Deadlines: Master of AIRE (30 March 2026) and FIRE PhD programme (3 April 2026). Details here.

Call for Applications: The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) invites PhD researchers to apply to the 5th PhD Workshop on Sustainable Development, an interdisciplinary workshop for early-career scholars working on sustainability transformations and environmental governance. Details here.

Call for Abstracts: 23rd Annual Colloquium of the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law — The 23rd IUCNAEL Colloquium will take place at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, in December 2026, bringing together environmental law scholars from around the world to discuss current global challenges in environmental governance and sustainability. Details on submissions, participation, and deadlines are available here.

Legal Fellow Position: Environmental and Climate Justice — NYU Law Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law and the Environmental & Climate Justice Initiative are seeking to hire a full-time Legal Fellow for the 2026–2027 academic year to conduct research, writing, and other activities related to developments in environmental and climate justice law and policy. Details here or here.

CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTS

In each newsletter, we try to include some climate facts from/for our younger audience 😊 If you or someone you know would like to contribute, please let us know.

Did you know that the temperature of the sand can determine whether baby sea turtles are born male or female? In species like the Green sea turtle, warmer sand produces mostly female hatchlings, while cooler sand produces more males. As global temperatures rise, some nesting beaches are producing far more females than males, which could affect turtle populations in the future. Learn more here.

PUBLICATIONS

Article: Recognizing future generations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: An overdue reappraisal, by Sandra Liebenberg and Aoife Nolan.

Article: Bridging Perspectives: Young Activists’ Stories and Intergenerational Dialogue on Mental Health and Climate Change in Canada, by Émilie Tremblay and Sandra Harrisson.

Article: Deforestation and climate change: Risks to children’s environmental rights and policy implications, by Naufal Libna Dawiya.

Article: Climate change litigation as a tool for climate change education, by Travis T. Fuchs, Nicholas Young, and Isabella Lenihan-Ikin.

Book chapter: Youth, Crisis, and Systemic Change: Generational Agency in a Warming World, by Matthew Chidozie Ogwu and Sylvester Chibueze Izah.