Climate Justice for Bonaire

In a landmark ruling the Dutch court ruled that the people of Bonaire deserve to be shielded from the effects of climate change, and that the citizens of Bonaire need to be given the same protections as the European part of the Netherlands. The court ordered the Dutch government to set binding goals to reduce emissions.

Image from HERE

Bonaire is part of the Caribbean islands, situated just above Venezuela. After being colonized by the Dutch, it became a Dutch overseas territory. Bonaire has been governed by the Dutch government from The Hague, it has never been treated as a full part of the Netherlands, but rather a 2nd rank county.

Greenpeace filed a lawsuit on behalf of the citizens of Bonaire to demand climate justice. The people of Bonaire are already suffering from climate change due to extreme heat and flooding. Coastal erosion because of sea level rise and coral die-of, both impact fisheries and Bonaire’s main source of income, tourism. Furthermore, the islands are reliant on neighboring countries for food and the food crops in those countries are failing due to climate change.

The Dutch court ruled that the government isn’t doing enough to protect the citizens of Bonaire from the effects of climate change, yet the Dutch government is responsible for these citizens. The court ruled that the plans to protect Bonaire from the effects of climate change in 2022 were far too late. The Netherlands has known for decades that Bonaire is extra vulnerable to climate change and current plans fail to meet the bare minimum needed to protect Bonaire.

PHOTO Marten van Dijl / Greenpeace

Here are 3 key take-aways from this ruling:

The court recognized the existential threat that is climate change, and a state’s responsibility to act on this threat. The Dutch government has been ordered to set binding targets to reduce carbon emissions with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees. This is the first time that a European country has been ordered to set binding targets to reduce emissions.

The court concluded that the Netherlands has unlawfully discriminated against the people of Bonaire by not taking sufficient measures to shield the people of Bonaire from the effects of climate change. The part of the Netherlands on the European continent started making and implementing adaptation plans some decades ago. The court orders the state to make an adaptation plan for Bonaire and implement it before 2030. It’s the first time anywhere in the world that a state is ordered to protect its people in overseas territories.

Lastly the court made clear that the Dutch government is responsible for its historic actions, or lack thereof. The state is responsible for the decisions it made in the past, meaning the Netherlands now needs to double-down and catch-up with adaptation for Bonaire.

Making a state responsible for its historic decisions sets an unprecedented precedent, with a great potential to take down the fossil fuel industry.

This is a major case with a great outcome. It would not have been possible without preceding cases such as:

• The Urgenda case in the Netherlands

• The ICC case lead by Vanuatu

• Swiss KlimaSeniorinnen case

None of these climate cases would have stood a chance without the grassroots work that we at Fridays For Future do. Our grassroots work ensures that people get informed on the climate crisis and the injustices around the world, and teaches people about a cause worth fighting for. We take it to the people and activate the people. By doing so we generate a mass response that shows policy makers what the people want, it puts pressure on governments, local, national, and international to implement changes towards a sustainable and equitable world.

No matter where you are, big or small, you are making a change!