Historic ruling in Greenpeace climate case on protection of Bonaire’s residents Greenpeace
A breakthrough for climate justice at the District Court of The Hague yesterday. The court ruled that the Dutch State has failed to sufficiently protect the residents of Bonaire against climate change and ordered the State to take corrective measures.
Michael Bacon, who represents Greenpeace on behalf of Kennedy Van der Laan:
“In this judgment, the court has done exactly what an independent judiciary in a democratic constitutional state is meant to do: test national policy against national and international law. The court rightly concluded that Dutch climate policy does not meet international commitments. It is now up to the State to decide how it will strengthen its climate policy.”
Far-reaching implications
This case is the first in the world in which a court has ordered a state, on the basis of a human rights violation, to take adaptation measures. The judgment is therefore of great significance for future proceedings, both within and beyond the Netherlands.
By representing the population of Bonaire and Greenpeace, we reaffirm our commitment to fundamental issues at the intersection of climate, human rights and equal protection by the government. We are proud that our years-long involvement in this case has helped make this outstanding result possible.
