VANCOUVER, Oct 31 — At a landmark Canadian trial focused on the government’s obligations to fight climate change, the young plaintiffs suing Ottawa over alleged policy failures have sought to focus attention their mental health.
In the civil trial that opened in the west coast city of Vancouver on Monday, 15 Canadians aged 17 to 25 are asking the court to impose legally binding greenhouse gas emissions targets on the federal government.
The case is unprecedented in Canada and part of a growing global movement by environmental activists seeking to use courts to force stronger climate protections.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs have said that part of their case hinges on proving the consequences of climate change are not hypothetical future risks, but that Canadians are already suffering.
