The Supreme Court of Sweden has determined that Greta Thunberg and several other activists are not permitted to continue with a lawsuit aimed at compelling the state to enhance its response to climate change.
In 2022, activists initiated a class action lawsuit in a district court, asserting that the state’s inadequate measures to combat climate change contravene rights enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights.
In 2023, the district court solicited clarification from the Supreme Court regarding the feasibility of such a lawsuit being heard in a Swedish court, after the state requested dismissal of the case.
The Supreme Court stated, “A court cannot dictate that parliament or the government must undertake specific actions. It is up to the political bodies to independently determine which climate measures Sweden should implement.”
Latest Climate stories
In its ruling, the Supreme Court emphasized that the case could only address whether the rights of individuals under the convention had been infringed, not the specific actions the state is obligated to undertake.
The plaintiffs, numbering around 300 and identifying as the Aurora group, sought a district court mandate for Sweden to take greater efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Last year, the European Court of Human Rights found that the Swiss government had indeed violated its citizens’ rights by not doing enough against climate change.
However, the court dismissed two other cases, including one brought by six young Portuguese individuals against 32 European nations, which the plaintiffs argued had failed to prevent severe climate change.
The court asserted that they must first seek a ruling in Portugal.
