Montana Judge Rules in Favor of Youth Activists in First-of-Its-Kind Climate Change Trial
Held v. State of Montana was first filed in March 2020 by 16 young people across the state of Montana
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Climate change is being put at the forefront thanks to a group of dedicated young activists.
After 16 young individuals across the state of Montana filed a complaint in March 2020, fighting for their constitutional right to "a clean and healthful environment," District Court Judge Kathy Seeley ruled in their favor on Monday.
The decision came after a two-week trial in which the 16 plaintiffs, aged 5 to 22, argued that Montana's support for fossil fuels was unconstitutional due to its effect on the environment. According to the Associated Press, the group presented their case by providing evidence that showed "increasing carbon dioxide emissions are driving hotter temperatures, more drought and wildfires, and decreased snowpack."
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In her ruling, Seeley wrote that the "plaintiffs have proven that as children and youth, they are disproportionately harmed by fossil fuel pollution and climate impacts." The 103-page decision also invalidated statutes prohibiting analysis and remedies of GHG emissions and climate impacts.
The case was brought forward by the legal nonprofit group, Our Children's Trust, whose Chief Legal Counsel and Executive Director Julia Olson shared in a press statement that it is a "game-changer" for a multitude of reasons.
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"In a sweeping win for our clients, the Honorable Judge Kathy Seeley declared Montana’s fossil fuel-promoting laws unconstitutional and enjoined their implementation," her statement read. "As fires rage in the West, fueled by fossil fuel pollution, today’s ruling in Montana is a game-changer that marks a turning point in this generation’s efforts to save the planet from the devastating effects of human-caused climate chaos."
Olson added, "This is a huge win for Montana, for youth, for democracy, and for our climate" and shared that "more rulings like this will certainly come."
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Montana is home to the nation's largest estimated recoverable coal reserves and is the fourth-largest coal-producing state.
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The Montana attorney general’s office shared with The New York Times that the state would appeal following Monday's decision.
"This ruling is absurd, but not surprising from a judge who let the plaintiffs’ attorneys put on a weeklong taxpayer-funded publicity stunt that was supposed to be a trial. Montanans can’t be blamed for changing the climate," shared Emily Flower, a spokeswoman for the attorney general, Austin Knudsen, in a statement to the outlet.
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