Australian group petitions UN over fossil-fuel exports citing human rights harms

A coalition including Indigenous activist Anne Poelina has filed a case with the United Nations Human Rights Committee claiming Australia’s continued coal and gas exports violate residents’ human rights by fueling climate harms such as extreme weather, floods and displacement. The suit follows the 2025 ICJ ruling that countries can be sued over climate change, though UN determinations are non-binding and Australia is expected to respond. The claim argues the government’s support for fossil-fuel companies amounts to a failure to protect people from dangerous climate impacts.