Dutch people sue government over inaction on climate change - and win!

A court in The Hague has ordered the Dutch government to cut its emissions by at least 25% within five years in a landmark ruling expected to cause ripples around the world, reports The Guardian.

The judges ruled that the Dutch government's plans to cut emissions by just 14-17% compared to 1990 levels by 2020 were unlawful, given the scale of the threat posed by climate change.

Jubilant campaigners said that governments preparing for the Paris climate summit later this year would now need to look over their shoulders for civil rights era-style legal challenges.

“Before this judgement, the only legal obligations on states were those they agreed among themselves in international treaties,” said Dennis van Berkel, legal counsel for Urgenda, the group that brought the suit.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/24/dutch-government-ordered-cut-carbon-emissions-landmark-ruling