Fourteen Hawaiian school students are suing the transport department for infringing on their right to grow up in a healthy environment by polluting it with greenhouse gases.
Ranging in age from 10 to 19, the plaintiffs claim they have been 'seriously injured' due to the government violating constitutional pledges to decarbonize the transport sector by 2045.
Their complaint says global warming is threatening age-old agricultural industries in Hawaii, while rising sea levels are projected to wipe out entire communities within the plaintiffs' lifetimes.
It also laments the emotional distress suffered by the young Pacific islanders - sparked by 'climate anxiety' and the destruction of their cultural traditions, citing examples like the bones of their ancestors being washed up by rising tides.
The Hawaiian youth advocates are represented by attorneys from non-profit Our Children's Trust, and their case is set to play out in the Environmental Court of First Circuit in June 2024.
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