Photo:William Campbell/Getty

HELENA, MONTANA - JUNE 12: Youth plaintiffs await the start of the nation’s first youth climate change trial at Montana’s First Judicial District Court on June 12, 2023 in Helena, Montana.

William Campbell/Getty

Climate change is being put at the forefront thanks to a group of dedicated young activists.

After 16 young individuals across the state of Montanafiled a complaintin March 2020, fighting for their constitutional right to “a clean and healthful environment,” District Court Judge Kathy Seeley ruled in their favor on Monday.

Lead claimant Rikki Held, 22, confers with members of Our Children’s Trust legal team before the start of the nation’s first youth climate change trial at Montana’s First Judicial District Court on June 12, 2023 in Helena, Montana.

Olson added, “This is a huge win for Montana, for youth, for democracy, and for our climate” and shared that “more rulings like this will certainly come.”

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Montana is home to the nation’s largest estimated recoverable coal reserves and is the fourth-largest coal-producing state.

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The Montana attorney general’s officeshared withThe New York Timesthat the state would appeal following Monday’s decision.“This ruling is absurd, but not surprising from a judge who let the plaintiffs’ attorneys put on a weeklong taxpayer-funded publicity stunt that was supposed to be a trial. Montanans can’t be blamed for changing the climate,” shared Emily Flower, a spokeswoman for the attorney general, Austin Knudsen, in a statement to the outlet.

source: people.com