ENVIRONMENTAL COURT CASES ACROSS THE WORLD

This case study details a legal challenge brought by the NGO Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) against the Government of Ireland regarding the adequacy of the 2017 National Mitigation Plan in meeting the goals of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015.

• The High Court ruled on 19 September 2019 that the National Mitigation Plan was lawful and consistent with international obligations, stating that the government possesses broad discretion in choosing mechanisms to reach the 2050 target set by the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015.
• The Court rejected the claim that the Plan violated constitutional or human rights, arguing that the Plan is an initial step toward a 2050 goal and does not independently breach rights to life, bodily integrity, or a dignified environment.
• The Court determined that because the 2015 Act does not mandate specific intermediate targets, requiring them would violate the separation of powers by infringing upon the government's policy-making role.
• Despite the ruling against the applicant, the Court acknowledged the scientific consensus that global warming can be mitigated through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, though it noted that significant effort is necessary.
• The Court affirmed that FIE, despite being a non-human entity, has legal standing to bring constitutional claims when advocating for issues that affect the public and its members.

APA

Natural Justice (2019). ENVIRONMENTAL COURT CASES ACROSS THE WORLD. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Environmental-Court-Case-Series_Friends-of-the-Irish-Environment.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. ENVIRONMENTAL COURT CASES ACROSS THE WORLD. 2019. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Environmental-Court-Case-Series_Friends-of-the-Irish-Environment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=ENVIRONMENTAL COURT CASES ACROSS THE WORLD |date=December 2019 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Environmental-Court-Case-Series_Friends-of-the-Irish-Environment.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljustice2019environmental, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{ENVIRONMENTAL COURT CASES ACROSS THE WORLD}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, year = {2019}, month = dec, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Environmental-Court-Case-Series_Friends-of-the-Irish-Environment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }