Ten Australians have filed a claim with the United Nations Human Rights Committee arguing that the Australian government is violating their human rights by failing to limit coal and gas exports — by far Australia's largest contribution to climate change.

The Human Rights Law Centre, Environmental Justice Australia, and Earthjustice represent the ten claimants. Their filing, made in Canberra, asks the UN Human Rights Committee to declare that it is unlawful for Australia to continue approving coal and gas projects for export without a plan to keep Australians safe from dangerous climate change.

The claim is the first case lodged in an international body against a country for climate harm since the International Court of Justice — the United Nations' judicial arm — affirmed that all governments have a legal obligation to prevent significant harm to the climate. In May, Australia joined 140 other countries in passing a major United Nations resolution supporting that landmark legal ruling on climate change.

"All governments have a legal duty to act on the climate crisis, as affirmed by the International Court of Justice last year. The Australian government is failing that responsibility by allowing unchecked exports of coal and gas," said Ramin Pejan, Deputy Managing Attorney of the International Program at Earthjustice. "This case sends a clear message: governments must act to reduce climate pollution from coal and gas and protect their people from harm."

Each of the ten claimants has suffered serious harm from extreme weather events, ranging from catastrophic bushfires and heatwaves to sea level rise and flooding. Their filing rests on the contention that export approvals, issued without any accompanying plan to protect the population from dangerous climate change, breach Australia's human rights obligations.

Among the claimants is Rikki Dank, a Gudanji and Wakaya Traditional Owner from the Barkly Tablelands in the Northern Territory. "Climate change is affecting not only our country, but our ability to pass on knowledge, care for sacred places and keep our culture strong for future generations," Dank said. "Australia continues to play a significant role in the climate crisis through the coal and gas it exports, while communities like mine are left to deal with the consequences. I believe there must be accountability for the harms already occurring and for those that will continue if meaningful action is not taken."

The claim directs attention to the scale of Australia's export economy. "Australia is one of the largest exporters of coal and gas in the world," said Hannah White, Senior Lawyer at Environmental Justice Australia. "Climate harm caused by Australia's coal and gas doesn't stop at a border, and neither does Australia's responsibility for it."

Jack McLean, Senior Lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre, framed the claim in terms of fundamental rights. "Everyone deserves to live safely with their families and communities, free from fear of climate disasters," McLean said. "The Australian government must phase out coal and gas and protect people's rights to life, home, and culture."

For practitioners, the filing signals a growing willingness to test export-related emissions before international human rights bodies rather than domestic courts alone. The claim builds directly on the ICJ's advisory affirmation of governmental obligations to prevent significant climate harm and the subsequent UN resolution endorsed by 141 states, including Australia. If the Human Rights Committee accepts the claim, a declaration that export approvals without protective plans are unlawful would sharpen the legal exposure of governments authorising fossil fuel projects and give affected individuals a further avenue for international redress.