Bonaire v Netherlands: The Island that Sued for Climate Protection

The Netherlands, Bonaire, and Climate Change Obligations - Dissident Voice

It was another bead in the string of jurisprudence and case law in climate litigation. Previous sparkling examples include Urgenda Foundation (2019), KlimaSeniorinnen (2024) and the significant Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice delivered in July 2025. The District Court of The Hague, in its January 28 judgment regarding the effects of climate […]

Bonaire v Netherlands: The island that sued for climate protection

Editor’s note: The following update was added by our ocean editor Daniel Cressey after the court ruling of 28 January 2026. The original story, published on 16 October 2025, is below the update and unchanged.A court in the Netherlands has declared that the Dutch government is violating human rights and failing to properly protect those living on its Caribbean territory of Bonaire, in the latest major climate change litigation ruling.“The court i…