About two years after 13 children and teens sued Hawaii over the threat posed by climate change, both sides reached a settlement that includes an ambitious requirement to decarbonize the state’s transportation system over the next 21 years.
About two years after 13 children and teens sued Hawaii over the threat posed by climate change, both sides reached a settlement that includes an ambitious requirement to decarbonize the state’s transportation system over the next 21 years.
It’s another example of a younger generation channeling their frustration with the government’s response to the climate crisis into a legal battle.
Navahine v. Hawaii Department of Transportation is the world’s first youth-led constitutional climate case addressing climate pollution from the transportation sector, according to statements from both sides.
The lawsuit said one plaintiff, a 14-year-old Native Hawaiian, was from a family that farmed taro for more than 10 generations. However, extreme droughts and heavy rains caused by climate change have reduced crop yields and threatened her ability to continue the cultural practice.
The complaint said rising sea levels also threaten to put their lands underwater.
Another plaintiff lost her home twice, due to climate change-induced events, according to Our Children’s Trust, a public interest law firm that is representing the plaintiffs: flooding from a hurricane in 2018 and last year’s deadly wildfire that ravaged Lahaina, on the island of Maui.
Here are some things to know about the historic settlement:
First Circuit Court Judge John M. Tonaki signed a settlement agreement Thursday between the plaintiffs, who are also represented by another law firm, Earthjustice, and the state of Hawaii and its Department of Transportation.
The lawsuit argued that Hawaii was violating the state constitution by operating a transportation system that harms the climate and infringes upon the right to a clean and healthy environment. It accused the Department of Transportation of consistently prioritizing building highways over other types of transportation.
