Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and 15 other youth filed suit against five countries Monday, arguing that carbon pollution violates their rights under the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, including the right to life, health and peace. The respondents are Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany and Turkey.

In their legal brief the activists state that, “The climate crisis is not an abstract future threat. The 1.1°C rise in global average temperature is presently causing devastating heat waves, forest fires, extreme weather patterns, floods, and sea level rise, infringing on the human rights of millions of people globally.”

They further argue that today’s children are the most susceptible to the consequences of climate change, as they will inherit an earth very different from their parents while simultaneously facing health and childhood developmental issues. The brief provides scientific facts that illuminate negative consequences of the five countries’ inaction.

The goal of this suit is to reclassify global climate change as both an environmental issue as well as one of human rights. By changing this definition, the petitioners hope to elevate the issue of climate change to a higher level of priority in order to preserve the health of our planet.