Hawaiian Youth Climate Case Becomes Second to Advance to Trial

Hawaii youth plaintiffs will have their day in court after a state judge ruled Thursday to allow their climate lawsuit to proceed to trial in the fall.

The 2022 youth-led lawsuit alleges the Hawaii Department of Transportation system allows rampant emissions of greenhouse gases, which violates the young people’s rights under state constitutional law.

This is now the second state constitutional climate case that will proceed to trial, following a closely watched youth legal challenge in Montana. Both are led by legal nonprofit Our Children’s Trust, which is also at the helm of Juliana v. U.S., a similar youth-led ...