Sustainable Transformation Podcast: Teenage Climate Activist Episode

This article was contributed by Sustainability Tracker.

The teenager who sued the government over climate change | Anjali Sharma

Can a government be legally required to protect young Australians from climate change? That question sat at the centre of a landmark Federal Court case, and it’s one campaigner Anjali Sharma has been trying to answer since she was 14 years old.

Anjali was the lead litigant in the case that first tested whether Australia’s environment minister owes a legal duty of care to future generations. She won. It was overturned on appeal. Instead of walking away, she helped write a bill to put that duty into law, and it’s now working its way through state and territory parliaments.

In this episode, Anjali takes Kiarne through what it actually takes to sue a federal minister at 16, why Australia’s role as a fossil fuel exporter complicates the “we’re too small to matter” argument, and what a workable duty of care could look like in practice.

You’ll hear and learn:

• Why a 16 year old sued a federal government minister
• Why Australia shouldn’t be claiming “we’re too small to matter” argument on climate responsibility
• What a legislated duty of care could mean
• Where the campaign for a duty of care stands now
• What Anjali says drives her and makes it all worth while

This episode is a must-listen for anyone who wants to understand how legal accountability on climate actually works in Australia, and what it takes to move it.

MENTIONS:

• Sharma v Minister for the Environment
• David Pocock’s Duty of Care Bill
• ICJ Advisory Opinion on States’ Climate Obligations (2025)
• Australian Youth Climate Coalition
• Australian Conservation Foundation
• Climate Council
• Australian Human Rights Commission’s child rights impact assessment tool

LINKS:

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CREDITS:

Host: Kiarne Treacy

Guest: Anjali Sharma

Guest Company: Duty of Care Campaign

Find more great podcasts like this at novapodcasts.com.au

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