---
title: Environment minister absolved of duty of care to protect young people from climate change
description: The Federal Court overturned a ruling that the environment minister has a duty of care to protect kids from climate change when assessing coal projects.
---
[](https://www.greenpeace.org.au)
[](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy)
The Canopy is a weekday morning email newsletter provided by the team at Greenpeace Australia Pacific.
# Environment minister absolved of duty of care to protect young people from climate change
Wednesday, 16 March 2022
In a decision that broke the hearts of people all over the world, the Federal Court has overturned a landmark decision that Environment Minister Sussan Ley has a duty of care to protect young people from the impacts of climate change when assessing fossil fuel projects.
While the court was abdicating Ley of responsibility, more evidence emerges that climate change will be a key issue at the upcoming federal election. A poll of more than 15,000 Australians has revealed that 107 out of the 151 lower house seats have more voters who want further action on climate than support the current target of net zero by 2050. That means a clear majority of voters either support the commitment to net zero or think the government should go further.
And as outback Queensland's tourist season heats up, so does the love life of a group of endangered marsupials who are being given the kiss of life thanks to Bilby blind dates.
[Children's climate change case overturned on appeal as Federal Court dismisses government's 'duty of care'](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-15/federal-court-judgement-on-climate-change-government-doc/100909214)
Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley has successfully argued she does not have a duty of care to protect young people from climate change when assessing fossil fuel projects.
[Sussan Ley’s appeal hasn’t overturned the facts in climate case](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.brisbanetimes.com.au%2Fenvironment%2Fclimate-change%2Fsussan-ley-s-appeal-hasn-t-overturned-the-facts-in-climate-case-20220315-p5a4wd.html&uId=5a778e7a00aa2026a265262c&cId=5a71496272d9dc241933e61d&contextId=6230e2c2f71daa5338a28158&dId=cKRo72sutid-uAt2ljU_ht2mBSc&op=open&sentiment=N&isHosted=false&id=3610347&name=Pacific%20Monitoring&type=search&transitionToken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy5icmlzYmFuZXRpbWVzLmNvbS5hdSJ9.Q8Ey-mPNLMwLmFbh44eEcZ0Fhfq1qwkEYqP28x62XOaAoUdJdxVqRmR40OYw1PV5rKtaXnk0t55qzLKAWeN7vA&s=mail-digest)
The full bench of the Federal Court has upheld Environment Minister Sussan Ley’s appeal that she does not have a duty of care to protect young people from climate change. But while the appeal decision overturns the *legal* basis for a novel duty of care, what hasn’t changed is the *facts*.
[Aussie voters want climate action: What could decide key seats](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapp.meltwater.com%2FmwTransition%3Furl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.townsvillebulletin.com.au%252Fnews%252Fnational%252Ffederal-election%252Faussie-voters-want-climate-action-what-could-decide-key-seats%252Fnews-story%252F32dbb1ba3c3228facb5bb65cb8c3478c%26urlCategories%3DnewsLtd%26analytics%3Dfalse%26documentId%3DNnlBWTdXr-RBXiDdnY0EUdFtwHE%26transitionToken%3DeyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy50b3duc3ZpbGxlYnVsbGV0aW4uY29tLmF1In0.Hi355k64pWNs0Q1xjcSwGPt_XVk8mcmT29GffZz3dfauXpXI5l3aPv2BsYo8-6CuVVK9ZiB2oSbtYDgpLGbcaA&uId=5a778e7a00aa2026a265262c&cId=5a71496272d9dc241933e61d&contextId=6230e2c2f71daa5338a28158&dId=NnlBWTdXr-RBXiDdnY0EUdFtwHE&op=open&sentiment=N&isHosted=false&id=4170765&name=Net%20Zero%20Emissions&type=search&s=mail-digest)
Cost of living is neck-and-neck with Covid-19 as the most important issue to voters at the upcoming election but it is the hot button issue of climate change that is turning electorates on their heads.
[Bilby blind dates through Charleville's Save the Bilby Fund help endangered species breed](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-16/bilby-blind-breeding-dates-save-endangered-species/100901868)
As outback Queensland's tourist season heats up, so does the love life of a local endangered marsupial. The greater bilby was brought to the brink of extinction through predation by feral cats and foxes, but the small nocturnal creatures are proving they are lovers, not fighters.
[Environment groups say Coalition plan to bypass federal approvals a ‘step towards industry free-for-all’](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/mar/16/environment-groups-say-coalition-plan-to-bypass-federal-approvals-a-step-towards-industry-free-for-all)
Environment groups have described a Morrison government plan to remove the need for federal environmental approval for developments in some regions as a “step towards an industry free-for-all” rather than an effort to protect nature.
[Reef scientist calls for government to act urgently to reduce emissions and protect jobs](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapp.meltwater.com%2FmwTransition%3Furl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.townsvillebulletin.com.au%252Feducation%252Ftertiary%252Fdr-jodie-rummer-calls-for-government-to-act-urgently-to-reduce-emissions-and-protect-jobs%252Fnews-story%252Fcca6cba52c78473e7f1567c6fd46bcc4%26urlCategories%3DnewsLtd%26analytics%3Dfalse%26documentId%3DLTS4B1-NYj5iGjLTXk98uN2xnYw%26transitionToken%3DeyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy50b3duc3ZpbGxlYnVsbGV0aW4uY29tLmF1In0.Hi355k64pWNs0Q1xjcSwGPt_XVk8mcmT29GffZz3dfauXpXI5l3aPv2BsYo8-6CuVVK9ZiB2oSbtYDgpLGbcaA&uId=5a778e7a00aa2026a265262c&cId=5a71496272d9dc241933e61d&contextId=6230e2c2f71daa5338a28158&dId=LTS4B1-NYj5iGjLTXk98uN2xnYw&op=open&sentiment=N&isHosted=false&id=4170765&name=Net%20Zero%20Emissions&type=search&s=mail-digest)
A marine biologist who watched coral die before her eyes says urgent action is needed by the government to slow climate change before it is too late.
[Reef](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/reef), [Coal](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/coal), [gas](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/gas), [energy policy](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/energy-policy), [climate change](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/climate-change), [Federal Election](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/tag/federal-election)
### Will you share with your friends?
[Share on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/environment-minister-absolved-of-duty-of-care-to-protect-young-people-from-climate-change%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_term%3Dsocial%2Bshare%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [Share on Whatsapp](whatsapp://send?text=Check%20out%20this%20thing%20from%20Greenpeace!%20https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/environment-minister-absolved-of-duty-of-care-to-protect-young-people-from-climate-change%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_term%3Dsocial%2Bshare%26utm_source%3Dwhatsapp) [Share on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/environment-minister-absolved-of-duty-of-care-to-protect-young-people-from-climate-change%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_term%3Dsocial%2Bshare%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/environment-minister-absolved-of-duty-of-care-to-protect-young-people-from-climate-change%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_term%3Dsocial%2Bshare%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=)
[Go to the website](https://www.greenpeace.org.au/)
## More news
### [Morrison Government’s last minute splurge on Reef puts polling above real climate action](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/morrison-governments-last-minute-splurge-on-reef-puts-polling-above-real-climate-action)
The Morrison Government is pledging $1 billion for Great Barrier Reef conservation projects over...
### [World on ‘catastrophic pathway’ to hotter future](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/world-on-catastrophic-pathway-to-hotter-future)
In today’s news, a new report by the UN finds that even if all the national commitments submitted...
### [UNESCO hails $2.9b Australian plan to protect Great Barrier Reef](https://blog.greenpeace.org.au/the-canopy/unesco-hails-2.9b-australian-plan-to-protect-great-barrier-reef)
[**UNESCO hails $2.9-bn Australian plan to protect Great Barrier Reef**](https://app.meltwater.com/mwTransition?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news.com.au%2Fbreaking-news%2Funesco-hails-29bn-australian-plan-to-protect-great-barrier-reef%2Fnews-story%2F4ce0b7c41976bf448096eec6488aa6af&urlCategories=newsLtd&analytics=false&documentId=omLegS9GA4HkeQYzC9d4vRmKsok&transitionToken=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiJ9.eyJob3N0bmFtZSI6Ind3dy5uZXdzLmNvbS5hdSJ9._9eIk96tIPNTjXwzMngn8CFnjBniEWEG71sNjH2GiqhhnqHvoch0hnhg2EgYcYnFoZnfeMpFAgXVacvMtxi1Pg)The UN's cultural agency UNESCO...
Work like this is only made possible by our supporters. Greenpeace accepts NO government funding or corporate donations to remain impartial. To amplify meaningful climate activism in Australia, ***become a regular giver today.***
[Donate to Support Greenpeace](https://donate.greenpeace.org.au/)
[](https://www.greenpeace.org.au/)
Connect with us
**Call:** [1800 815 151](tel:1800815151)
Our team acknowledges that we meet and work on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We wish to pay respect to their Elders — past, present and future — and acknowledge the important role all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play within Australia, the environmental movement and the Greenpeace crew.
© Greenpeace 2026. [Privacy Policy.](https://www.greenpeace.org.au/privacy-policy/)