<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/21/young-people-go-to-european-court-to-stop-treaty-that-aids-fossil-fuel-investors>
"Young victims of the climate crisis will on Tuesday launch legal action at
Europe’s top human rights court against an energy treaty that protects fossil
fuel investors.
Five people, aged between 17 and 31, who have experienced devastating floods,
forest fires and hurricanes are bringing a case to the European court of human
rights, where they will argue that their governments’ membership of the
little-known energy charter treaty (ECT) is a dangerous obstacle to action on
the climate crisis. It is the first time that the Strasbourg court will be
asked to consider the treaty, a secretive investor court system that enables
fossil fuel companies to sue governments for lost profits.
“It just can’t be that the fossil fuel industry is still more protected than
our human rights,” said Julia, a 17-year-old high school student from Germany,
who said she was joining the legal challenge after catastrophic lethal floods
came to her home region, the Ahr valley, last July.
She and her parents had to flee their home when the flood waters came.
Recalling the escape with the water around her hips, she said: “It was really
scary and going through the water felt like losing the ground underneath my
feet.” During the floods 222 people died in Germany and Belgium. “So that’s why
I decided to join this legal action, to fight against the energy charter treaty
still protecting the fuel industry.”
The claimants are suing 12 ECHR member states, including France, Germany and
the UK because these countries are home to companies that have been active
users of the ECT charter. The German energy company RWE is suing the
Netherlands for €1.4bn (£1.2bn) over its plans to phase out coal; Rockhopper
Exploration, based in the UK, is suing the Italian government after it banned
new drilling near the coast.
The claimants argue that membership of the ECT violates the right to life
(article two) and right to respect for private and family life (article eight)
of the European convention on human rights."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
