Coal in court: The High Court hears its first climate case

Every year, state and federal governments from both major parties approve ever more coal mines and gas projects. The task of protecting the environment from the harms caused by these projects falls to local community groups and environmental NGOs, who typically challenge them in the courts. Often, a key aspect of such legal challenges concerns the way the decision-maker deals with the climate change impacts of the proposed project. On Wednesday, the High Court of Australia—the nation’s highest court—for the first time heard one such case.