Non-profit groups Lawyers for Climate Action (LCA) and the Environmental Law Initiative are challenging the Crown, specifically Simon Watts, minister of climate change since 2023, on how the government sets targets for reducing emissions, and what legal protections emissions-reducing policies have.

Essentially, it’s about whether governments can “flip flop” over climate goals in the future, says Jessica Palairet, the executive director of LCA. “We are seeking declarations to clarify the law to never end up in this position again.”

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