Breakthrough in MT Climate Case

Some of you may have heard about Held v. State of Montana, a case brought by 16 Montana youth against the State of Montana for its violations of their constitutional right to a clean and healthy environment, through its actions promoting a fossil fuel-based energy system. This case, filed on March 13, 2020, is one of multiple constitutional climate lawsuits supported by the nonprofit public interest law firm Our Children’s Trust.

On August 4, a landmark decision was made by Judge Kathy Seeley, who ruled that the 16 youth plaintiffs can proceed to trial. Judge Seeley denied the state’s attempt to prevent their case from moving forward. View the Order on the Motion to Dismiss here.

Last Thursday, OCT hosted a gathering online to discuss this crucial moment in U.S. climate litigation and what will come next in this constitutional climate case in Big Sky country. You can watch the recording here.

This Thursday (8/19), OCT is hosting another gathering to discuss how this historic ruling intersects with other youth-led climate cases. OCT will answer questions including: What might this Montana ruling mean for the federal constitutional climate lawsuit Juliana v. United States? How does it align with the recent global climate litigation victories we’ve seen around the world? What does the new IPCC report mean for this case or other Our Children’s Trust legal actions? Join OCT tomorrow at 12pm Pacific/3pm Eastern to discuss these questions and more! [REGISTER HERE]