The Australian government owes no legal obligation to protect individuals from supposed harm from climate change, the Federal Court of Australia has ruled. On March 15, the full bench of the court overturned an earlier decision that recognised that Environment Minister Sussan Ley had to consider the potential harm from climate change when deciding whether to hand out mining leases. The action was originally brought by eight high school students seeking to block the expansion of a major coal mine—Whitehaven Coal’s Vickery Extension Project near Gunnedah in the state of New South Wales (NSW). At the time, Justice Mordecai Bromberg allowed the expansion to go ahead but ruled that the minister had a “duty of reasonable care” not to cause injury to children when exercising her decision-making powers. However, Justices James Allsop, Michael Wheelahan, and Jonathan Beach found otherwise, stating that such a duty was a matter for the Parliament, …