Activists sue Russia over ‘weak’ climate policy

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Guardian or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: A group of activists, including NGO Ecodefense, has filed a claim with Russia's constitutional court, arguing that the country's inadequate climate policies violate their rights to life, health, and a healthy environment

🔭 The context: Previous attempts to have Russia's supreme court examine the climate policy failed, leading activists to approach the constitutional court, which has a history of addressing environmental issues like the Chornobyl disaster

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Russia is a major greenhouse gas emitter, and its current climate efforts are deemed "critically insufficient" by Climate Action Tracker

•  Activists argue that stronger measures are needed to align with the Paris Agreement and mitigate severe climate impacts on local communities and global climate

⏭️ What's next: If the claim fails domestically, activists may appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, despite Russia no longer recognizing its jurisdiction
• This case could set a precedent for future climate litigation

💬 One quote: “We are insisting in this case that the current climate policy of Russia is too weak and can’t protect us against the most catastrophic consequences of climate change,” said Vladimir Slivyak from Ecodefense

📈 One stat: Russia aims for net-zero emissions by 2060, but has made little progress toward this goal, relying heavily on forests for carbon uptake without concrete plans to reduce fossil fuel dependency

Click for more news covering the latest on climate change