Europe's courts are holding governments to account for climate change

Courts in Germany and other European Union countries are posing a growing challenge to governments and business interests regarding climate change in recent months, reports Rick Noack in The Washington Post. Examples include an appeals court in the Netherlands, which recently ordered officials to cut greenhouse gas emissions more rapidly than so far envisioned; German courts that have started to order cities to introduce driving bans for dirty diesel vehicles; and a court in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which ordered the suspension of the controversial clearing of Hambach Forest for a lignite mine.

Find the article (behind paywall) in English here.

For background, read the CLEW articles German court stops controversial clearing of forest for lignite mine and Court ruling opens door for diesel bans in German cities.