In Brief: Another US youth climate case likely to go to trial; UK opposition’s green investment pledge under scrutiny

The latest ESG policy and regulatory news

The youth climate case of Juliana vs United States can proceed to trial after a federal judge in Oregon rejected the US government’s latest attempt to dismiss the case. The lawsuit, which was initially filed in 2015 by 21 youth plaintiffs against the US Department of Justice, claims that actions taken by the government have contributed to climate change and violated the plaintiffs’ constitutional rights to “life, liberty and property, as well as failed to protect essential public trust resources”. Youth climate cases have been gaining momentum, mostly in the US and Europe. In August 2023, a ruling on Held vs Montana declared the exclusion of climate factors in the state’s permitting decisions as unconstitutional.