Plaintiffs arrive for the nation's first youth climate change trial at Montana's First Judicial District Court in Helena, Montana on June 12, 2023. William Campbell / Getty Images

The Montana Supreme Court upheld a landmark victory on Wednesday, affirming a lower court’s decision that the energy policies of the state violated youth activists’ constitutional rights to a clean environment.

The ruling in Held v. Montana last August invalidated a law stopping regulators from taking into consideration the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions when issuing permits for new fossil fuel projects, reported The Guardian.

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“It’s a landmark because it’s the first court in the U.S. to recognize a constitutional right to a stable climate,” Parenteau said, pointing out that the decision could face political opposition, since there was strong support for the fossil fuel industry by state officials.

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Several states — including Alaska, Hawaii and Utah — are scheduled to hear similar cases, as well as countries like Pakistan, Uganda, Colombia, Australia and New Zealand.