In January last year, eight people from the former Dutch colony joined forces with Greenpeace to sue the government for failing to protect them against climate change.

Bonaire is part of the Netherlands and has the status of an independent local authority area, but Greenpeace argues that government measures to tackle climate change are focused on the European part of the country.

At the time, a court in The Hague ruled that the case had merit and that Greenpeace could act in Bonaire’s interests.

The eight residents, however, were not allowed to participate because, the court said, they could not properly substantiate why they had “their own direct interest” in the case. Some of them will, however, speak during the two-day hearing.

Researchers at Amsterdam’s VU University said earlier that Bonaire is particularly vulnerable to climate change. Part of the island is expected to disappear as sea levels rise, and the coral reef that helps protect the island from flooding may also be destroyed.

“Whether we live on Ameland, Bonaire or in Valkenburg, everyone wants our government to protect our future in the climate crisis,” Greenpeace said in a statement ahead of the first day of hearings. “That means protecting our health, homes, jobs and the natural environment.”

“The government still treats people on Bonaire as if they matter less,” Greenpeace said. “With this climate case, we are demanding climate justice.”

It is now 10 years since the start of the Urgenda climate court case, which ended up with a Supreme Court ruling in 2019 requiring the Dutch state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and so protect the environment.