THE URGENDA CLIMATE CASE AGAINST THE DUTCH GOVERNMENT

9 October 2018 – Final judgment Supreme Court: The Supreme Court of the Netherlands in The Hague orders the Dutch government that it must urgently & significantly reduce emissions to protect human rights. A landmark decision is taken.

13 September 2019 – Supreme Court advised to uphold the Urgenda judgement: The office of the Procurator-General today advised the Supreme Court to uphold the judgment of the Court of Appeal. For more information click here.

24 May 2019 – Hearing before the Supreme Court: On 24 May 2019 the Urgenda Climate Case will be heard before the Supreme Court. The hearing will commence at 9:00 am in the Korte Zaal (Korte hall), address: Korte Voorhout 8, 2511 EK, The Hague.

12 April 2019 – Urgenda submits its written defence in the appeal before the Supreme Court: Urgenda has submitted its written defence in the appeal before the Supreme Court on 12 April 2019. It its submission Urgenda outlines the dangers of climate change and the duty of the State to reduce its emissions by 25% at a minimum before 2020. The Dutch version of the written defence is available here. A translation in English will be made available as soon as possible.

9 January 2019 – Dutch government submits its grounds of appeal: The Dutch Government has filed its ground of appeal before the Supreme Court. The grounds can be downloaded here (in Dutch). Despite its initial announcement to file the appeal because of its principled disagreement with the Court of Appeal with regards to the separation of powers, the State challenges wide range of determinations that were made by the Court of Appeal.

16 November 2018 – Dutch government fights obligations to act on climate change: On Friday, the Dutch government announced its intention to appeal the recent judgment of the Hague Court of Appeal in Urgenda’s high-profile climate case. The Court of Appeal upheld the 2015 order of the District Court requiring the Government to reduce the Netherland’s greenhouse gas emissions. Read further here.

9 October 2018 – Urgenda wins appeal in historic climate case: the Hague Court of Appeal upheld the groundbreaking 2015 decision of the District Court, in which it ordered the Dutch Government to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2020 compared to 1990 levels. The Court ruled that failure to do so would amount to a violation of the rights of Dutch citizens. You can read the judgment and the press release here.

9 October 2018 – Judgement in the Appeal of the State. The Hague Court of Appeal is expected to deliver its judgement in the appeal launched by the State at an open hearing on 9 October 2018 at 10:00 am. The hearing will be live-streamed by the Court. For more information click here.

18 April 2017 – The Urgenda Foundation published the Notice on Appeal: The Dutch Government and Urgenda will appear to the court on May 28th 2018. Here you can download the document: Urgenda Notice On Appeal

29 September 2015 – Dutch government refuses to pull appeal in landmark climate case: Despite calls from top scientists, lawyers, citizens, companies and the almost 900 co-plaintiffs, the Dutch government declined to pull the appeal against the historic verdict in the Dutch climate case.

“To appeal the outcome of this case only weeks before the start of the climate summit in Paris shows that the Dutch government is still not treating this issue with the urgency it so desperately needs.” Marjan Minnesma, director of Urgenda and initiator to the climate case. “We have full confidence in the outcome of the appeal.” Read the full press release here.

1 September 2015 – The Dutch government announces its intention to appeal against the verdict of the district court in The Hague in the Dutch Climate Case:

“We have full confidence in the outcome of the appeal” Marjan Minnesma, director of Urgenda reacted. In its letter to parliament the government also announced it will start taking measures to reach the target that was ordered by to court, pending the appeal. In its judgment the District court of The Hague ordered the Dutch government to reduce its emissions by a minimum of 25% by 2020 compared to 1990. The Netherlands are currently on a path towards 17% in 2020.

Marjan Minnesma : “The government knows 25% is not nearly enough if you consider the enormity of the dangers that climate change poses to us. Much more is needed, so we hope that politicians in the Netherlands will take their responsibility and make a true effort to speed up the transition towards a 100% sustainable economy. We have been waiting for political leadership on this topic for a very long time.”

In its letter announcing the appeal the government mentions a number of legal questions as the reason for appealing the judgment.

Marjan Minnesma: “The Dutch government has the opportunity to put these legal questions directly to the Supreme Court instead of first going through the Court of Appeal. That would save a lot of time and money. If it is legal clarity that de government wants, going straight to the Supreme Court is the fastest way to get there.”

The government officially published its announcement (Dutch) here. Dutch parliament will be hearing experts and debating the case later this month before the government takes a final decision on the appeal. The deadline for appealing is 24 September 2015.

Statement Dutch government in English and in Dutch.

24 June 2015 – Urgenda wins the case for better Dutch climate policies: Urgenda and nine hundred co-plaintiffs were victorious in the climate case today, forcing the Dutch government to adopt more stringent climate policies. The district court of The Hague has granted the plaintiffs claims, and the government is now required to take more effective climate action to reduce the Netherlands considerable share in global emissions. This is the first time that a judge has legally required a State to take precautions against climate change. This judgment will provide support to all the other climate cases around the world.

“All the plaintiffs are overjoyed by the result. This makes it crystal clear that climate change is a huge problem that needs to be dealt with much more effectively, and that states can no longer afford inaction. States are meant to protect their citizens, and if politicians will not do this of their own accord, then the courts are there to help,” says Urgenda director Marjan Minnesma, who in 2013 initiated this case against the Dutch State with a team of lawyers and nine hundred co-plaintiffs. “It’s all up to the State now. Luckily, sustainable solutions are ripe for the picking.”

Read Urgenda’s full press release here
Read the court’s press release here
Read the transcript of the court session at which the Verdict was brought here