From Courtrooms to Policy: Workshop Highlights on Intergenerational Fairness

Intergenerational fairness is about balancing present needs with the rights of future generations. In recent years, this principle has been the base of several landmark court cases where judges have ruled that governments must do more to meet the climate targets.

For the 2025 EURegionsWeek, we hosted a workshop on intergenerational fairness, climate policy, and governmental responsibility to explore the civil, legal, and political sides of these rulings, and to discuss whether climate activism and court cases can help secure a safer future for generations to come.

Around 50 participants attended the workshop, sparking thought-provoking discussions between speakers and the audience.

Prof. Nicolas de Sadeleer shared his expertise in environmental law and insights from recent landmark climate court cases. Anne Mahrer, President of Senior Swiss Women for Climate Protection, and Sara Tak, Director of The Climate Case, presented practical experiences from civil society organisations shaping legal precedents.

A political perspective was added by Anjes Tjarks, Green Senator for Transport and Mobility Transition in Hamburg, highlighting the challenges of designing and putting concrete climate policies into practice at local and regional levels.