Children Take Action: Courtroom and Other Tales of the Climate Generation

In the last decade or so, children have resorted to litigation against both their own and other governments to compel them to take effective steps to combat climate change. Here we examine the phenomenon of child climate activists in the courtroom and consider whether their voices are amplified or distorted through such proceedings. In particular, we ask whether such climate lawsuits empower or disempower young climate activists. We also consider the role played by social media in enabling child climate activists and litigants to give voice to their concerns in Australia and on the global stage, to connect with children in other parts of the world, and to challenge prevailing stereotypes of the climate generation—from future victims to powerful contemporary actors and key figures in the climate crisis.