Residents of Bonaire in the Dutch Caribbean urged the Netherlands on Tuesday to take responsibility for the climate crisis.
Supported by Greenpeace, residents of the Dutch island, just off the coast of Venezuela, have raised the alarm about climate change threatening them with unbearable heat and rising sea levels.
An unprecedented court case has opened in The Hague, it marks the first case of its kind in Europe following a July advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) interpreting international climate law obligations.
"Climate change is not a distant threat for us," testified Onnie Emerenciana, a farmer from the small island before the four judges. "Where we used to work, play, walk, or fish during the day, the heat is now often unbearable."
According to Greenpeace, Bonaire is one of the Dutch territories most severely affected by the climate crisis.
A study by the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam suggests that the southern part of the island could be permanently submerged by the end of the century.
"Parents report that their children can no longer walk to school as they once did… Outdoor play has been replaced by indoor activities behind closed doors," Emerenciana added.
Through the court, Bonaire’s residents and Greenpeace are demanding that the Dutch government develop concrete plans to protect the island and achieve net-zero CO2 emissions by 2040.
"We are suffering the consequences of CO2 emissions to which we contribute almost nothing," stressed Emerenciana.
In July, the UN’s highest court in The Hague issued a landmark advisory opinion stating that nations failing to meet their climate obligations are committing an “unlawful” act and could face claims for reparations from the countries most affected.
Bonaire is a Dutch 'territory' which dates back to the Netherlands colonial empire and its key role in the slave trade, which lasted in the Dutch territories until the 1860s despite its abolition around 50 years earlier.
Today, the Caribbean Netherlands is a geographic region of the Netherlands located outside of Europe, consisting of three special municipalities. These are the islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba.
