One thing is clear from the momentum gained by the climate justice movement in 2023: the climate crisis is a human rights crisis, and people have the power to demand the world's governments to take urgent climate action.
Eight courageous citizens of the Dutch-Caribbean island of Bonaire, together with Greenpeace Netherlands, are doing exactly that, by taking the Dutch State to Court, for human rights violations and insufficient climate action. The Dutch State must protect the human rights of all its citizens and amp up climate action.
Scientific consensus shows that the climate crisis is already affecting the human rights of people in the Caribbean and every additional increment of global warming will have a severe impact on people's lives, homes, jobs and health. Governments must protect human rights affected by climate change by limiting global warming as much as possible and keeping the world's average temperature rise under 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Together, people from Bonaire and Greenpeace Netherlands demand two things: their government, the Netherlands, must do its fair share to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius and therefore reduce carbon emissions faster, and the Netherlands must protect the people of Bonaire against the impacts of climate change.
Here are some of the stories behind the lawsuit calling for climate justice in Bonaire.
Danique Martis, social worker and plaintiff
"The Caribbean Netherlands has been forgotten for too long. There are plans in place to protect the European Netherlands against sea-level rise and other consequences of the climate crisis, but for Bonaire, this is not yet the case. It saddens me to see how, despite knowing their responsibility, the Dutch government has chosen to push our right to life and our safety aside. For this reason, we are going to the court, so they have no choice but to act. "
Judmar Emerenciana, graphic designer and plaintiff
"We are at risk of losing our culture. I don't want the slave huts to end up underwater, with us thinking in the future, 'We could have prevented this'."
Kjelld Kroon, program creator and plaintiff
"Climate change is happening right now on Bonaire. It's getting increasingly hot and the rain showers are more frequent and more extreme. These downpours are causing flooding, inundating many houses. Including my mother's house. The time for talking is over, we have to act. I don't want to have to wait any longer and that's why I'm taking action today."
Andy Palmen, executive director of Greenpeace Netherlands
"It shouldn't matter whether you live on Bonaire, on Ameland or in Valkenburg. It's the Dutch government's duty to protect all of us from the consequences of the climate crisis. Bonaire is being hit hard by rising sea levels, heat waves and the deterioration of its coral reefs. The government must reduce global warming as much as possible, and right now it's failing to do so. We demand more protective measures for Bonaire, and we want the Dutch government to speed up the reduction of carbon emissions from the whole of the Netherlands. This is the right thing to do."
What can you do to support Bonaire?
Across the globe, the climate justice movement is growing. You can help it grow stronger by sharing far and wide the stories of the courageous communities and individuals taking action for their human rights everywhere!
It's time for all of us to assert our rights, demand climate justice, and a dignified way of life.
