A federal appeals court on Friday dismissed a landmark climate justice lawsuit that 21 children and young adults from around the country brought against the federal government.

In its 2-1 decision, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco acknowledged the gravity of the climate crisis but ruled the case lacks legal standing to proceed to trial.

“Reluctantly, we conclude that such relief is beyond our constitutional power,” Judge Andrew D. Hurwitz wrote in his opinion. “Rather, the plaintiffs’ impressive case for redress must be presented to the political branches of government.”

The lawsuit, called Juliana v. U.S. and filed by the nonprofit Our Children’s Trust, asserts that the federal government is violating the plaintiffs’ constitutional rights to life, liberty and property by promoting fossil fuel production and failing to take action on climate change. Originally filed in 2015 against the Obama administration, the lawsuit later shifted to the Trump administration, which has worked aggressively to derail U.S. actions to combat climate change and to boost domestic fossil fuel production as part of its “energy dominance” agenda.