Granting Alaska Youth Their Day in Court
A group of Alaska youth plaintiffs are appealing the dismissal of a constitutional climate case, arguing that a state-mandated fossil fuel development project violates their fundamental rights. WHEN helped fund this critical stage of the case so the plaintiffs could appear before the Alaska Supreme Court and urge the Court to reinstate the case.
Overview
I think it’s important that youth are leading these types of actions because it’s our entire life that’s on the line”
Drivers of Outrage
The State of Alaska is advancing the Alaska LNG Project — a massive fossil fuel development project estimated to roughly triple Alaska’s greenhouse gas emissions for decades. Through statutes directing the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC) to pursue and commercialize the project, the State is helping drive fossil fuel expansion via state policy. These mandates are coming at a time when much of the…
The route would stretch nearly the full length of Alaska, extending from Prudhoe Bay on the North Slope to a liquefaction plant on the Kenai Peninsula.
At full capacity, the pipeline could move 3.9 billion cubic feet of gas every day—roughly enough to supply tens of millions of homes.
If built as proposed, the project would operate for at least 30 years, locking nearby communities and ecosystems into decades of potential harm.
The route would stretch nearly the full length of Alaska, extending from Prudhoe Bay on the North Slope to a liquefaction plant on the Kenai Peninsula.
At full capacity, the pipeline could move 3.9 billion cubic feet of gas every day—roughly enough to supply tens of millions of homes.
If built as proposed, the project would operate for at least 30 years, locking nearby communities and ecosystems into decades of potential harm.
Funded Action
After appealing the dismissal to the Alaska Supreme Court on April 1, 2025, the youth filed their opening brief on June 11, 2025, the same day Alaska legislators and the League of Women Voters of Alaska submitted an amicus brief supporting the case’s return to trial. On March 4, 2026, the youth plaintiffs and their attorneys appeared before the Alaska Supreme Court to argue that the lower court’s dismissal should be reversed. WHEN provided $30,000 to Our Children’s Trust to support this critical stage of the case, helping cover travel and accommodations for plaintiffs and their guardians, court-related expenses and filing fees, as well as legal and communications support.
Realized Outcomes
Funding helped ensure the youth plaintiffs could appear before the Court and fully participate in this pivotal hearing. The plaintiffs are still awaiting a decision from the Court, but even at this stage, the hearing elevated public visibility of this case and youth-led climate litigation.