Greenpeace and seven individual plaintiffs from Bonaire are launching a lawsuit to hold the Dutch state legally responsible for failing to do enough to protect against climate change, which they say threatens the vulnerable island.

Greenpeace says that this is the first such claim against a European government. The environmental group and plaintiffs intend to demand that the Netherlands meets its ‘fair share’ in reducing greenhouse gas emissions – by extension, helping to protect the island, which since 2010 has been a special Dutch municipality.

They cite a report commissioned by Greenpeace Netherlands. by the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam. suggesting a fifth of the island could be lost to rising sea levels by the end of the century. A ‘letter before action’ – a legal warning shot – has been sent to Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte in advance of court action.

One of the plaintiffs, teacher Jackie Bernabela, said – in a Greenpeace press release – ‘I can see how climate change is already impacting Bonaire, even though we are a small island and hardly emit any greenhouse gases. Without pressure on the government in The Hague, nothing will change on Bonaire.’

Executive director of Greenpeace Netherlands, Andy Palmen, said in a statement: ‘It should not matter whether you live on Bonaire, in The Hague or in Amsterdam. The government has a duty to protect all municipalities from floods and other life-threatening consequences of the climate crisis.’

Previous action by climate change activists has been successful in court. A collective of environmentalist groups known as Urgenda won a Supreme Court ruling requiring the Dutch state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in 2019. Rulings on cases brought by the group Mobilisation for the Environment in 2019 and 2022 mean the government is now proposing a controversial buy-out plan for ‘peak polluters’ of nitrogen compounds, to protect vulnerable nature.

Climate minister Rob Jetten and Hennyson Thielman, commissioner for Bonaire, said in a joint reaction that it was ‘clear that there needs to be speedy action taken to protect the residents of Bonaire and its unique nature against the effects of climate change’ and pledged to accelerate their efforts.

Henk Naves, chairman of Dutch legal council Raad voor de rechtspraak told the Financieele Dagblad last weekend that, in his opinion, if the Dutch government were functioning properly, social problems would not be ending up in court.