Ontario's top court breathed new life into a Charter challenge of the provincial government's emissions target on Thursday, a decision heralded as a major victory for the group of young people who brought the case and others looking to hold governments to account on climate change.

The court of appeal in Canada's most populous province ordered a new hearing on Thursday in a youth-led lawsuit claiming Ontario's climate plan violates young people's rights.

A group of young people argue Ontario's weakened emission target is a violation of their Charter rights. On Thursday, the Appeal Court of Ontario declined to rule on that question, but said lower courts shouldn't have dismissed the case,

Ontario's top court has ordered a new hearing for a youth-led constitutional challenge of the provincial government's emissions target, saying the case raised important issues that should be considered afresh.