January, 05 2016, 02:45pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Nate Bellinger, Our Children’s Trust, 413-687-1668, nate@ourchildrenstrust.org
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court to Hear Youth's Climate Change Lawsuit
WHAT: The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court will hear oral argument in the important climate change case, Kain et al. v. Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, brought by four inspiring youth plaintiffs, Conservation Law Foundation, and Mass Energy Consumers Alliance against the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
WHEN: Friday, January 8, 2016
BOSTON
WHAT: The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court will hear oral argument in the important climate change case, Kain et al. v. Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, brought by four inspiring youth plaintiffs, Conservation Law Foundation, and Mass Energy Consumers Alliance against the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
WHEN: Friday, January 8, 2016
Court hearing begins at 9:00 a.m.; please arrive by 8:30 a.m. to secure your seat.
There will also be a live webcast at: https://www.suffolk.edu/sjc/.
WHERE: Supreme Judicial Court
John Adams Courthouse
Courtroom 1, 2nd Floor
One Pemberton Square
Boston, Massachusetts
WHY: The plaintiffs argue that the DEP has failed to promulgate regulations required by Section 3(d) of the Massachusetts Global Warming Solutions Act that would establish declining annual levels of greenhouse gas emissions. Massachusetts is not on track to meet its 2020 greenhouse gas goal of 25% below 1990 levels - a fact that is directly related to DEP's failure to issue the required regulations. The plaintiffs are working to ensure that Massachusetts is complying with the law and doing everything necessary to protect their right to a healthy atmosphere and stable climate system.
The lawsuit was filed with the help of Our Children's Trust, an Oregon-based non-profit orchestrating a game-changing, youth-driven legal campaign in the United States and across the world. The youth plaintiffs are being represented by attorneys at Sugarman, Rogers, Barshak & Cohen, P.C. in Boston.
Our Children's Trust is a nonprofit organization advocating for urgent emissions reductions on behalf of youth and future generations, who have the most to lose if emissions are not reduced. OCT is spearheading the international human rights and environmental TRUST Campaign to compel governments to safeguard the atmosphere as a "public trust" resource. We use law, film, and media to elevate their compelling voices. Our ultimate goal is for governments to adopt and implement enforceable science-based Climate Recovery Plans with annual emissions reductions to return to an atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration of 350 ppm.
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