The Rights of the Future: The Innovations and Global Implications of the German Constitutional Court’s Ruling on Climate Change and Human Rights
In April 2021, the German Constitutional Court handed down one of the most consequential climate decisions ever rendered. In Neubauer v. Germany, the German Constitutional Court found that the German government’s climate targets violated the young plaintiffs’ rights and ordered them to revise their climate targets so as to not unconstitutionally burden young generations vis-à-vis older generations. The groundbreaking decision included precedent-setting discussions of the right to a stable climate, the rights of young people in the era of climate change, and the urgency of climate action.
The Center for Human Rights and Global Justice (CHRGJ) and the Climate Litigation Accelerator (CLX), in recognition of the import of this decision, are hosting a public panel discussion to examine the key features, precedents, and lessons of this case.
Panelists include:
- Lisa Göldner, Climate and Energy Campaigner, Greenpeace Germany
- Michaela Hailbronner, Professor of Public Law and Human Rights at the University of Giessen
- Mattias Kumm, Professor of Global Law, WZB Social Science Research Center and Humboldt University
- César Rodríguez-Garavito, Codirector, Center for Human Rights and Global Justice & Climate Litigation Accelerator, NYU Law