Introduction to the movement of youth suing governments for climate inaction and the impact on their lives.

• Young plaintiffs, some as young as 7, have been suing governments since 2015 for not taking adequate action on climate change.
• Lawsuits claim that government inaction and harmful environmental policies jeopardize the plaintiffs' current and future lives.
• The plaintiffs argue that climate inaction violates their basic human rights, including the right to a healthy environment, health, food, and water.

Exploration of the relationship between human rights and environmental protections, and the history of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

• Questions arise about whether humans have the right to breathe clean air and live in a world with diverse species and ecosystems.
• The UDHR, established in 1948, outlines freedoms for all people that are inherent and can't be revoked, but doesn't mention environmental rights.
• The UDHR's non-binding nature still set international standards that have been integrated into treaties, constitutions, and laws globally.

The development of environmental rights at the national level and the increasing recognition of these rights internationally.

• Environmental rights first emerged at the national level, especially within the Global South, often influenced by Indigenous perspectives.
• Human rights advocates urged the United Nations and the world to acknowledge the right to a healthy environment as essential.
• The principles of the UDHR are considered dependent on access to healthy ecosystems, with pollution and habitat loss posing significant threats.

Historic legal victories for environmental protection and the growing number of environmental cases filed worldwide.

• Over 150 countries have incorporated the right to a healthy environment into their national laws.
• Significant court rulings, like the one from the Colombian Supreme Court, oblige governments to act on deforestation and emissions.
• The success of these cases has inspired a global wave of over 2,000 human rights-based environmental cases as of 2023.

The UN's acknowledgment of environmental rights and the critical need for international action to protect the environment.

• In 2022, the UN General Assembly recognized the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.
• There is a pressing need for global cooperation to reduce emissions, halt deforestation, and preserve water cleanliness.
• Court cases serve as an important step in holding governments accountable and ensuring future generations inherit a healthier planet.