Sweden’s Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that Greta Thunberg and hundreds of other young activists cannot sue the Swedish state over what they argue is inadequate action on climate change.
The activists filed a class action lawsuit in 2022, claiming that Sweden’s insufficient efforts to combat climate change violate their rights under the European Convention on Human Rights. They argued that the government’s inaction fails to address the impacts of climate change and protect their future.
The district court sought guidance from the Supreme Court in 2023, after the state requested that the case be dismissed, asking whether a lawsuit of this nature could be heard in a Swedish court.
“A court cannot decide that the Riksdag or the government must take any specific action. The political bodies decide independently on which specific climate measures Sweden should take,” the Supreme Court stated in its ruling on Wednesday.
The approximately 300 plaintiffs, collectively known as the Aurora group, had called for a district court order requiring Sweden to take stronger measures to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
