Poland was again brought to the European Court of Human Rights. This time it was about the climate. More precisely – about omissions in terms of climate policy. Six Portuguese – the oldest person is 21 years old, the youngest 8 – filed a lawsuit against 33 countries, including Poland.
Young activists accuse the respondent countries of having led to a dramatic deterioration in the quality of life in Portugal through their rather active policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They demand that the ECtHR oblige the respondent governments to pursue a more ambitious climate policy.
The case will be of precedent importance. Even if the young Portuguese fail to win before the ECHR, the process itself will have a strong influence on European politics. Including Poland.
The Portuguese know what they are talking about
For now, the reactions of the Polish media, especially the right-wing media, to the lawsuit of young Portuguese citizens usually take a condescending form. “A group of children envied Greta Thunberg and decided to follow in her footsteps” – this is how their message can be summed up. Meanwhile, despite their young age, the Portuguese know what they are talking about. And it’s from my own personal experience.
Portugal is one of the European countries hardest hit by climate change. This year in July, the average temperature in Portugal was 33.34 degrees Celsius – the highest in 90 years. Two of the applicants live in Lisbon, where a record heat of 44 degrees Celsius was recorded in 2018. A year earlier, in 2017, heat triggered a wave of forest fires in Portugal. 120 people died.
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