Europe’s top rights court on Tuesday said Switzerland was not doing enough to tackle climate change in a historic decision that could force governments to adopt more ambitious climate policies.
Europe’s top rights court on Tuesday said Switzerland was not doing enough to tackle climate change in a historic decision that could force governments to adopt more ambitious climate policies.
The European Court of Human Rights, part of the 46-member Council of Europe, however, threw out two other climate cases against European states on procedural grounds.
Hopes had been high for a legal turning point ahead of the rulings in the three cases, treated as a priority by the 17 judges of the court’s Grand Chamber.
In the first case, the court found that the Swiss state had violated Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees the „right to respect for private and family life“, according to the ruling.
The Swiss association of Elders for Climate Protection—2,500 women aged 73 on average—had complained about the „failings of the Swiss authorities“ in terms of climate protection that could „seriously harm“ their health.
The court found „there were some critical lacunae“ in relevant Swiss regulations, including a failure to quantify limits on national greenhouse gas emissions.
The court ordered the Swiss state to pay the association 80,000 euros (almost $87,000) within three months.
The lawyer of the Swiss association, Cordelia Bahr, said the court had „established that climate protection was a human right“.
„It’s a huge victory for us and a legal precedent for all the states of the Council of Europe,“ she said.
