Islanders accuse Australia of inaction on climate change in landmark legal case
A group of indigenous islanders, on the frontline of climate change, say their fellow Australians have been slow to implement policy as they see it as an ‘overseas problem’
Kuala Lumpur — A group of indigenous people will file an unprecedented legal complaint against Australia on Monday, lawyers involved in the action said, accusing the government of breaching their human rights by falling short on its Paris climate accord pledges. Eight residents of the Torres Strait Islands, a group of more than 270 low-lying islands between Australia and Papua New Guinea, are set to lodge a complaint with the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva, Switzerland. “These are some of the most climate-vulnerable villages and islands in the world,” said Sophie Marjanac, one of nine lawyers involved in the case. “They are very exposed.” “The science is really stark for these communities about what the future holds — they need serious assistance to adapt and to remain on their islands because ... they’re already experiencing regular inundations,” she added. Australia — one of the world’s largest carbon emitters per capita because of its reliance on coal-fired power plants — is...
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