Legal Blog
The WYCJ Legal blog publishes contributions on the climate crisis and its impacts on youth's rights and the environment.
We try to enhance collaboration between actors—lawyers, academics, and non-governmental organisations—related to climate action, the intergenerational equity principle, or WYCJ’s campaign.
The WYCJ Legal blog aims to create momentum around WYCJ’s initiative by producing legal content referring to the implementation of a rights-based approach to the climate crisis and the utilization of international legal mechanisms to clarify and develop international environmental law.
This is the international section of the blog, where pieces are originally written and submitted in English.
Key-Takeaways from the Webinars: ‘Pleading for Human Rights and Climate Justice: Reflections on the climate hearings before the International Court of Justice’
By Han Ying Jie
4/4/25
This blog reflects on the two webinars organised by CIEL, PISFCC, and WYCJ on 12 and 13 March, which explored the various dimensions of the Climate AO.
Milieudefensie et al v Royal Dutch Shell: Where does corporate climate litigation go from here?
By Joe Fox
1/2/25
This blog post takes stock of where we are now, and what lessons we might take forward from the Milieudefensie et al. vs. Royal Dutch Shell case.
Ecocide: A New Avenue for Climate Justice?
By Eleonora Raus
16/1/25
This blog post responds to the Pacific Island States’ proposal and offers some reflections on whether ecocide creates an alternative avenue for achieving climate justice.
The Campaign for Youth Climate Justice Reaches Japan
By Joe Fox
8/11/24
In Japan, a lawsuit led by 16 young people has sought an injunction against 10 major corporate emitters to reduce their emissions to at least the levels indicated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Navahine v. Hawai‘i Department of Transportation: Ensuring the Constitutional Right to a Clean Environment
By Amy Kraitchman
12/9/24
In June 2024, a historic settlement was announced between 13 youth plaintiffs, the State of Hawai‘i, Governor Green, and the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation.
The ITLOS Advisory Opinion on Climate Change and the Law of the Sea - Impacts on Youth Climate Justice, International Law, and Human Rights
By Paula Moreno-Cervera de la Cuesta
9/9/24
In July 2024, the World's Youth for Climate Justice and One Ocean Hub hosted a webinar to discuss the Advisory Opinion issued by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea on May 21, 2024, concerning the protection of the marine environment from pollution caused by climate change.
Shaping the Future of Climate Justice and Human Rights: The Case of KlimaSeniorinnen v. Switzerland
By Peter Jacobs and Sophie Verbeek
25/6/24
The European Court of Human Rights on 9 April 2024 handed down a historic judgement as the Court recognised the failure of Switzerland to protect the applicants from the ill effects of climate change.
The ITLOS Advisory Opinion: A win for the oceans, a win for the fight against climate change
By Jasmine Rowe and Henrieke Bünger
25/6/24
On the 21st of May 2024, climate history was made when the first ground-breaking Advisory Opinion on the specific obligations of States in regard to climate change was issued by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.
Carême v. France: Setting the Bar Too High?
By Ecab Amor Vazquez.
5/6/24
The first half of 2024 has seen monumental developments in climate change-based human rights litigation at the level of regional mechanisms of human rights protection.
Duarte Agostinho ECHR Case: A Bump in the Road for Youth Climate Justice?
By Clare Lagan
5/6/24
In April 2024, the European Court of Human Rights handed down its judgements on a trio of climate cases; KlimaSeniorinnen v Switzerland, Duarte Agostinho and Others v Portugal and 31 Others, and Carême v. France.
WYCJ Blog Jurídico
El blog jurídico de la WYCJ publica contribuciones sobre la crisis climática y sus repercusiones en los derechos de las juventudesy el medio ambiente.
Intentamos fomentar la colaboración entre actores -abogados, académicos y organizaciones no gubernamentales- en relación con la acción por el clima, el principio de equidad intergeneracional o la campaña de WYCJ.
El blog jurídico de WYCJ pretende generar impulso en torno a la iniciativa de WYCJ mediante la producción de contenido legal que aborde la aplicación de un enfoque basado en derechos frente a la crisis climática , así como la utilización de mecanismos jurídicos internacionales para aclarar y desarrollar el derecho medioambiental internacional.
Esta es la sección en español del blog, donde los escritores pueden compartir entradas del blog escritas originalmente en español y compartir sus perspectivas con un enfoque en América Latina, el sistema interamericano de protección de los derechos humanos y, en general, los países de habla hispana.
Symposia
Editors for the Legal Blog
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Erika Vite, Editor
Erika is currently studying Law at Universidad Panamericana in Mexico. Throughout her academic journey, she has shown a strong interest in International Human Rights Law, actively participating in academic competitions, seminars, and conferences, as well as interning at various NGOs.
Email: erika@wy4cj.org
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Linn Pfitzner, Editor
Linn has an interdisciplinary background in international law and politics and holds an LL.M. in Global Environment and Climate Change Law from the University of Edinburgh. They have experience developing climate policy in the public sector, having worked at the European Parliament and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). Linn’s research interests include operationalising intergenerational fairness in climate policy-making and finding equitable legal solutions for addressing non-economic loss and damage.
Email: linn@wy4cj.org
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Maria-Christina Achilleoude, Editor
Maria-Christina Achilleoude has completed both a Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Laws at the London School of Economics & Political Science. She also holds a Master of Arts from the Courtauld Institute of Art (London) where she specialised in Global Conceptualism. Her interests lie in more-than-human rights, environmental law, public international law and critical theory. Her current research explores the potential of advancing more-than-human right approaches to articulate an ecocentric conception of climate justice and the limitations of these approaches in environmental and climate justice litigations.
Email: maria-christina@wy4cj.org
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Eleonora Raus, Editor
Eleonora Raus has completed a Bachelor of Laws at University College London and a Master of Laws at the London School of Economics & Political Science. Her interests lie in human rights, environmental law and public international law. Currently she works as a paralegal at a law firm specialising in medical negligence and personal injury litigation, and has recently received a Lincoln's Inn scholarship to pursue the Bar in England.
Email: eleonora@wy4cj.org
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Robin Happel, Editor
Robin is a freelance writer and has previously served as a Global Goals Ambassador for Climate Action for the UN Association and Expert Reviewer for the AR6 in addition to volunteering with WYCJ. She is originally from east Tennessee, and is passionate about supporting a just transition for frontline and fenceline communities.
Email: robin@wy4cj.org
How to submit a blog post?
WYCJ is inviting youth from around the world to contribute to the Legal Blog:
Share your voices!
We welcome contributions on all topics relating to climate justice and in line with the mission of the legal blog. Posts may be strictly informative (e.g. provide an analysis of important cases to inform the general public) and/or provide a forum for academic debate by introducing original and novel ideas, perspectives, and interpretations on climate justice from a legal point of view. For more information on how to write and submit a blog post, please read the Legal Blog Post Guide, which you can find below.
If you are interested in writing a blog post, please submit a topic proposal or a first draft of your post to any of the editors of the editorial board of the WYCJ Legal Blog above.
It should be noted that publication is not guaranteed, and a decision to publish may be subject to revisions.