With a historic agreement, made public on June 20, 2024, a group of young people in Hawaii succeeded in having the rights of youth and children to a safe climate for life recognized and, consequently, the Department of Transportation committed to planning and implementing changes in order to achieve zero emissions in all land, sea and air transportation between the Hawaiian Islands by 2045.
The agreement, recognized by the court, concluded the constitutional lawsuit filed in 2022 by 13 young people—with the support of Our Children's Trust and Earthjustice—against the state of Hawaii and the Department of Transportation for the high levels of greenhouse gas emissions generated by the islands' transportation system, which violated their right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. The court will be responsible for enforcing the agreement for the next 21 years.
This is the first constitutional climate litigation led by young people and aimed at stopping climate pollution from transportation, which could be inspiring for the rest of the world as it relates to one of the sectors that most aggravates the climate crisis.
With a historic agreement, made public on June 20, 2024, a group of young people in Hawaii succeeded in having the rights of youth and children to a safe climate for life recognized and, consequently, the Department of Transportation committed to planning and implementing changes in order to achieve zero emissions in all land, sea and air transportation between the Hawaiian Islands by 2045.
The agreement, recognized by the court, concluded the constitutional lawsuit filed in 2022 by 13 young people—with the support of Our Children's Trust and Earthjustice—against the state of Hawaii and the Department of Transportation for the high levels of greenhouse gas emissions generated by the islands' transportation system, which violated their right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. The court will be responsible for enforcing the agreement for the next 21 years.
This is the first constitutional climate litigation led by young people and aimed at stopping climate pollution from transportation, which could be inspiring for the rest of the world as it relates to one of the sectors that most aggravates the climate crisis.