The U.S. Supreme Court has declined a petition to revive the nearly decade-old case initially filed in Oregon by youth climate activists who have struggled to get their federal case against the government to trial.
The petition effectively brings an end to the youth-led legal battle initiated by 21 young people who sued the federal government in Eugene in 2015.
They asserted a constitutional right to a sustainable climate and wanted a judge to order the United States to prepare an energy plan that transitioned the nation away from fossil fuels.
Their petition to the nation’s highest court sought to have the U.S. Supreme Court throw out a ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that directed U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken in Eugene to dismiss the case.
Aiken had earlier allowed the activists to amend their lawsuit and in 2023 ruled that she would allow the case to go to trial. She subsequently dismissed the case after the 9th Circuit issued its order at the request of the Biden administration.
The appellate court had previously found the high-profile youth climate change lawsuit was beyond the power of a federal court judge to order or design a remedial plan for a problem that requires complex policy decisions.
“Ultimately, we didn’t get the decision we wanted today, but we’ve had many wins along the way,” said Miko Vergun, one of the plaintiffs. “For almost ten years, we’ve stood up for the rights of present and future generations, demanding a world where we can not only survive, but thrive. We’ve faced extreme resistance by the federal government, yet we’ve never wavered in our resolve.”
Attorney Julia Olson, chief legal counsel of Our Children’s Trust who filed the suit in Eugene, said in a statement that the suit “sparked a global youth-led movement for climate rights that continues to grow. It has empowered young people to demand their constitutional right to a safe climate and future. We’ve already secured important victories, and we will continue pushing forward. This fight is far from over.“
While the Eugene-initiated case is now dead, it helped spur more than 60 other youth-led climate lawsuits in the United States and across the world, according to Olson and other lawyers involved in the suit.
Some of those included a case in Montana where the state Supreme Court ruled that a state law restricting consideration of climate change in environmental reviews violated youth rights to a healthy, clean environment. And a case in Hawaii reached a settlement that required the state to develop a plan to expand bike lanes, invest in electric vehicle charging equipment and pedestrian walkways by 2045.
Rikki Held, lead plaintiff in the Montana youth climate case, said in a statement, “I am inspired by the courage and determination of the young people who have led this case, and I hope their legacy continues to motivate others to hold our governments and leaders accountable for the actions that worsen the climate crisis, impacting our homes, our lives, and our futures.”
— Maxine Bernstein covers federal court and criminal justice. Reach her at 503-221-8212, mbernstein@oregonian.com, follow her on X @maxoregonian, on Bluesky @maxbernstein.bsky.social or on LinkedIn.
