European court bumps youths’ climate case to top-tier panel

BERLIN (AP) — The European Court of Human Rights says a complaint against 33 countries filed by six young climate activists will be examined by the tribunal’s top panel of judges. Lawyers for the plaintiffs said Thursday’s decision to have the court’s Grand Tribunal hear the case reflects its legal significance. The Portuguese activists, three of whom are minors, turned to the court almost two years ago in an effort to hold European governments accountable for their allegedly inadequate efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The countries named in the complaint include the 27 member nations of the European Union plus the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine.