Montana youth climate activists petition state supreme court to enforce landmark constitutional victory

Thirteen young Montana climate activists are asking their state’s highest court to step in after lawmakers allegedly ignored a groundbreaking legal victory that affirmed their constitutional right to a clean environment.

The case, known as Held v Montana, made history in August 2023 when a district court judge ruled in favor of 16 youth plaintiffs who argued that state officials violated their constitutional rights by promoting fossil fuel development. The Montana Supreme Court later upheld these findings in late 2024, cementing what many consider one of the most significant climate victories in U.S. legal history.

However, the young activists claim their hard-won victory is being undermined. In a petition filed Wednesday, 13 of the original 16 plaintiffs argue that state lawmakers have directly contradicted the court’s ruling by passing new legislation this year that continues to prioritize fossil fuel interests over their constitutional environmental rights.

The legal battle highlights a growing tension between youth-led climate activism and traditional energy policies in Montana, a state heavily dependent on fossil fuel extraction. The activists are now asking the Montana Supreme Court to take enforcement action to ensure their constitutional rights are protected and the previous ruling is properly implemented. This latest development could set important precedents for how courts handle climate cases and enforce environmental rights across the United States.