Climate change trial pits youths against Montana

The first trial in several U.S. climate change cases brought by youths kicked off on Monday in Montana, where sixteen young people are seeking to hold the
state accountable for fossil fuel-friendly policies they claim exacerbate global warming and threaten their futures.
Roger Sullivan, an attorney for the young plaintiffs, painted a sweeping picture of the costs and consequences of Montana’s energy policies, which he said violate a state constitutional provision that guarantees a right to a “clean and healthful environment,” during his opening statement at the two-week bench trial in state court.
The plaintiffs, who were between the ages of 2 and 18 when they filed their lawsuit in 2020, want Judge Kathy Seeley in Helena to declare the state’s policies violate their rights. They hope that would set an important precedent and encourage lawmakers in the state capital to take greater action to fight climate change, according to their lawyers.