Supreme Court Dismisses Greta Thunberg's Climate Change Lawsuit

Sweden's Supreme Court ruled that Greta Thunberg and other activists cannot pursue their climate change lawsuit in Swedish courts. Filed in 2022, the lawsuit claimed the government's inaction violated human rights. The court stated such political decisions must be made by governmental bodies, not the judiciary.

In a landmark decision, Sweden's Supreme Court announced on Wednesday that it would not allow Greta Thunberg and hundreds of young activists to proceed with a lawsuit against the state over its perceived inaction on climate change.

The activists, under the collective name of the Aurora group, initiated a class action lawsuit in 2022, arguing that the state's failure to adequately address climate change infringes on rights protected under the European Convention on Human Rights. They sought the district court's intervention to compel stricter climate measures to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius. However, facing a request from the state to dismiss the case, the district court sought the Supreme Court's input on the lawsuit's admissibility.

The Supreme Court, clarifying the judiciary's role, affirmed that decisions on climate actions rest with political entities such as the Riksdag and the government, not the courts. Consequently, it dismissed the case, underscoring the separation of powers between the legislative and judicial branches concerning climate policy.