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.
