Australian government must protect young people from climate crisis harm, court declares

Environment minister has 28 days to appeal historic ruling that carbon emissions from coalmine should not cause young people personal injury or death'

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Australia's federal court has formally declared the nation's environment minister has a duty to take reasonable care" that young people won't be harmed or killed by carbon dioxide emissions if she approves a coalmine expansion, in a judgment that could have wider implications for fossil fuel projects.

In the federal court case, brought by eight schoolchildren and an octogenarian nun, Justice Mordecai Bromberg on Thursday also ordered the minister pay all costs.