​Greenpeace and seven residents of the Caribbean island of Bonaire filed a lawsuit against the Dutch state on Thursday to protect its islanders in the face of rising sea levels, the campaigning organization for the Dutch state announced. environment, reports AFP and Agerpres.

The plaintiffs believe that “the Dutch state is negligent in protecting the island of Bonaire in the face of the climate crisis and violates human rights,” the Dutch branch of Greenpeace said in a statement.

Their lawyers sent an “action letter” to the Dutch government on Thursday, urging it to cut greenhouse gas emissions and protect the former Dutch colony, which became one of the Netherlands’ three “special” municipalities in 2010, from their impacts. countries along with the islands of Saba and Sint Eustatius.

Under Dutch law, a subpoena is the first step in suing the state, explained Bram Karst, a spokesman for Greenpeace.

“We would like to be surprised” by the change, but lawyers continue to prepare for the trial, said lawyer Minke de Haan.

“I can see that climate change is already affecting Bonaire, a small island with a low carbon balance,” plaintiff Jackie Bernabela, a 65-year-old teacher, said in the same statement.

“Bonaire residents should not be treated as second-class Dutch citizens,” added Onni Emerensiana, a 60-year-old gardener who is one of the initiators of the initiative.

Another island secured a historic UN resolution on climate change

According to a study published by Greenpeace in September 2022, if global greenhouse gas emissions are not significantly reduced, sea level rise could cover about a fifth of the island of Bonaire by the end of this century.

The organization had already warned at the time of the publication of this study, which details the extent of the impact of climate change on the island, that a legal action was being prepared.

The Netherlands is known for its storm dams and thousands of kilometers of dams built to protect the European territory, about a third of which is below sea level. But the country is also one of the biggest polluters per capita in Europe and has faced a series of scandals and lawsuits over its emissions.

Following a process initiated by Vanuatu, an island seriously affected by global climate warming, the UN General Assembly passed a historic resolution at the end of March asking international justice to clarify the “obligations” of the world’s nations to combat climate change.

The resolution was hailed as “historic” progress, a “significant milestone” and a “triumph for international climate diplomacy.” NGOs and a number of states among the 130 co-authors of the text strongly welcomed this consensus text.

The UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) will have to answer the question about the “obligations of states” in protecting the climate system “before present and future generations.”