Marjan Minnesma made legal history. In the Urgenda case, she and hundreds of co-plaintiffs argued that the Dutch state has a duty to protect its citizens from climate change – and won. Then won the appeal. Then won at the Supreme Court in 2019. More than sixty climate lawsuits around the world have followed the path Urgenda opened.
But the courtroom is only half her story. With more than eight hundred organizations she delivered a 54-point plan showing exactly how the Netherlands could meet its climate goals, bought solar panels at scale to push the market open, and proved her motto in practice: it can be done, if you want it. Marjan Minnesma died on 22 May 2026, after living with breast cancer since 2022 – the case law, the coalitions and the momentum she built keep shaping climate action in the Netherlands and beyond.
Achievements
- Won the landmark Urgenda climate case against the Dutch state – three times
- Inspired more than sixty climate lawsuits worldwide
- Delivered a 54-point climate action plan with 800+ organizations
- Drove practical energy projects, from solar purchasing to energy-positive homes
In Planet vs. Patriarchy: Women are building a better economy.