Montana Youth Climate Case Makes History with Landmark Trial

A lawsuit going to trial in Montana will determine whether a constitutional right to a healthy, livable climate is protected by state law. The case, brought by 16 young plaintiffs and their attorneys, is the first of its kind in the US and could set an important legal precedent. The plaintiffs, ranging in age from 5 to 22, hope to highlight how young people are harmed by climate change now and will be further affected in the future. The trial comes shortly after the state’s Republican-dominated Legislature passed measures favoring the fossil fuel industry.