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Greta Thunberg and the Swedish youth group Aurora are again taking the country’s government to court, this time with a reworked case that argues Sweden is failing to protect young people from worsening climate impacts.
Here’s what to know
In an Instagram post, Novara Media (@novaramedia) wrote: “Greta Thunberg and Swedish youth climate organisation Aurora are suing the Swedish government over its failures to tackle the climate crisis.”
On Sept. 22, Thunberg said Aurora had launched a second lawsuit accusing Sweden of falling short of its legal duty to protect citizens, especially children and young people, from climate harm. The group says that despite Sweden cutting planet-warming pollution faster than the European Union average, the country is still not on course to hit its 2045 net-zero target.
The case centers on three demands: stronger emissions cuts aimed at keeping warming to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5C), better protection for ecosystems such as forests, and the counting of emissions Aurora says are missing from official figures, including those from burning imported biomass.
The post also drew public support. One commenter wrote, “I admire her courage and initiatives everyone should do it too.”
More background
This latest lawsuit follows an earlier case dismissed in February, when Sweden’s supreme court said it could not order the government to take climate action, while also indicating that a differently structured claim might stand a better chance.
A 2024 ruling from the European Court of Human Rights said citizens can bring climate cases against governments when climate breakdown threatens their right to private and family life.
Aurora is part of a wider wave of climate litigation, with campaigners using the courts to demand accountability when governments fall behind on their climate promises. In the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland, activists have already won rulings that pushed their governments toward stronger environmental measures.
The stakes reach well beyond legal theory. Slower action on air pollution and ecosystems can raise risks for communities through extreme weather, strained public health systems, and damage to forests and other natural protections that people rely on.
What’s being done?
Alongside the court challenge, Aurora and Thunberg are also trying to build public backing for the case. Campaigners with Thunberg and Aurora have raised more than £180,000 ($238,000 at current exchange rates) so far for the forthcoming lawsuit.
Their legal strategy is focused on measurable steps governments can take, including cutting more pollution, stopping the overlooking of certain emissions sources, and protecting natural systems that absorb carbon and support biodiversity.
Aurora wrote in its fundraiser: “A safe and just world is still possible, but only if rich, high-emitting states like Sweden stop violating their duty to protect people from the devastation of the climate crisis, and start transforming their societies before 2030.”
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