Fourteen young Canadians are taking the federal government to court in La Rose v. His Majesty the King, arguing that they have a Charter-protected right to live in a world with a safe and stable climate – and that Canada is violating those rights by failing to to set and meet climate targets that are aligned with science.

Across the country, young people are already living with the consequences of climate change: deadly heat waves, rising seas, atmospheric rivers, retreating glaciers, thawing permafrost, wildfires and other extreme weather events that threaten their homes, health and future. Despite these impacts, the federal government continues to support and promote fossil fuel expansion, worsening the crisis instead of solving it.

The plaintiffs argue that by allowing levels of greenhouse gas pollution incompatible with a stable climate, the government is infringing on their rights to life, liberty and security of the person under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Read the full statement of claim.  

The plaintiffs are not asking for compensation from the government. What they want instead is accountability and action. They are asking the court to recognize that the government has a constitutional obligation to protect the climate – and to require the adoption of a science-based “climate recovery plan” with clear targets, timelines and actions to reduce Canada’s emissions in line with its fair share of global efforts to prevent dangerous climate change. 

_{Photo credit: Robin Loznak / Our Children’s Trust}