Post by Grata Fund

Today, retired teachers Tony and Wendy and their local community group faced up against a coal giant - MACH Energy - in Australia’s top court. It's the first time a climate case has made it to the High Court of Australia. In recent years, the couple have witnessed with horror how climate change is ravaging their community. Tony, a former farmer, was forced to sell his cattle during an unprecedented drought. Then came catastrophic floods that killed hundreds of thousands of cattle across the region, followed by the worst fires they had ever seen. They don't need a court to tell them that climate change is harming their community, and that that harm is being made worse by the giant coal mine down the road. Australia is one of the world’s largest fossil fuel exporters. What we dig up here and send overseas comes back to us as droughts, floods, fires, and extreme heat. But a win in the High Court would be powerful. It could set binding precedent that says that NSW planning authorities *must* take into consideration climate impacts of a project to the local area, including from emissions from fuel burned overseas. This precedent could have implications in other states and territories. Whatever the court's decision may be, we're so delighted that Tony, Wendy, and the DAMS HEG group have made it this far, under the brilliant legal stewardship of Elaine Johnson and Anita O'Hart at Johnson Legal, Naomi Sharp SC, and so many more wonderful people and organisations. We’re thrilled to have supported this incredibly worthy case. 📸 Zoe Lonergan