It is a milestone, as it is the first court in the USA to recognize the constitutionally established right to a stable climate, says law professor Patrick Parenteau to The New York Times.
Montana is one of the few states in the country that has written into its constitution that residents have the right to a clean environment. 16 young environmental activists have sued the state for approving oil, gas, and coal projects, which they claim goes against this, and have testified in court about how they are affected by climate change.
Montana has defended itself by saying that the state's emissions do not have any significance at the global level, but the court does not buy that argument.
"If everyone else jumps off the bridge, do you do it too?", asks Judge Mike McGrath.
The Republican administration is critical of the court's ruling, and Governor Greg Gianforte warns in a statement that it will lead to "endless lawsuits that will waste taxpayers' money and drive up energy bills for hardworking Montanans".
The court's ruling means that a law signed by Gianforte last year becomes invalid. The law prohibited authorities from taking carbon dioxide emissions into account when approving projects for the extraction of fossil fuels.
