A liberal group supporting youth-led climate change lawsuits gains momentum
Our Children’s Trust (OCT) is a nonprofit organization based in Oregon that was established over ten years ago with the goal of providing legal services to youth seeking to secure their legal rights to a safe climate. The organization has filed numerous federal lawsuits, initiated legal actions in all 50 states, and is engaged in litigation in countries like Canada, Mexico, Pakistan, India, and Uganda.
The youth involved in OCT’s legal efforts are driven by a desire to correct the wrongs they see in the world, as stated by Mat dos Santos, OCT’s co-executive director and general counsel. During a recent rally outside the White House, dos Santos called on President Biden to support their cause in Juliana v. United States, a case involving 21 young Americans who believe their constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property have been violated by the government.
OCT first filed its complaint in Juliana v. United States in 2015, alleging that the federal government has knowingly contributed to global warming for decades. The lawsuit, currently in progress in the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, challenges policies that facilitate fossil fuel extraction, transportation, and combustion.
In the lead-up to the White House rally, Senator Ed Markey, a key figure in the Green New Deal initiative, hosted a podcast featuring dos Santos and some of the plaintiffs in the case. The podcast highlighted the children’s efforts to combat the environmental damage caused by previous generations.
OCT’s legal endeavors predominantly focus on representing youth who claim that government agencies at the federal or state level are harming their future by endorsing reliance on fossil fuels.
The organization’s most recent lawsuit was filed against the Environmental Protection Agency in December, while one of its most successful cases to date has been Held v. State of Montana. The Montana court ruled in favor of the youth plaintiffs in Held v. State of Montana, concluding that certain state laws promoting fossil fuels were detrimental to young people.
Julia Olson, OCT’s chief legal counsel and co-executive director, described the Montana court’s decision in 2023 as historic, marking the first time a court found that the government had violated children’s constitutional rights through laws that promote fossil fuel usage.
OCT actively recruits children aged 8 to 18 to serve as the face of their legal campaigns. Children interested in participating in OCT’s cases are invited to fill out an online form detailing how climate change has personally affected them.
However, OCT’s actions have faced criticism from opponents like Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, who accused the organization of exploiting children to further their agenda of restricting energy development. Knudsen believes that OCT is attempting to bypass traditional legislative processes and impose their extreme climate policies through legal avenues.
Financially, OCT reported possessing over $5.4 million in net assets and receiving significant contributions in recent years. The organization’s donors remain undisclosed, but tax forms indicate that OCT has received substantial grants from various liberal nonprofits, including the Amalgamated Charitable Foundation, Alex C. Walker Foundation, and Impact Assets.
The Amalgamated Foundation, a key supporter of OCT, is affiliated with Amalgamated Bank and focuses on progressive causes. Under the leadership of executive director Anna Fink, the foundation launched a campaign to redirect donations from Republican organizations following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Key figures at OCT, such as dos Santos and Olson, have backgrounds in progressive activism, with dos Santos previously working with the ACLU and Olson being a former attorney at Earthjustice. Several other OCT staff and board members have connections to climate-related organizations, highlighting the intersection of legal advocacy and environmental activism within the group.
Despite requests for comment, OCT and the Amalgamated Charitable Foundation did not respond to inquiries regarding their activities and funding.
