EU Court Says Switzerland’s Handling of Climate Change Violates Human Rights in Landmark Ruling
Summary from the AllSides News Team
The European Court of Human Rights ruled in favor of 2,000 elderly Swiss women suing their government over its handling of climate change in a landmark ruling on Tuesday.
The Details: The group of women argued their government’s inadequate efforts to combat climate change put them at increased risk of dying due to heatwaves. Based in Strasbourg, France, the court said the Swiss government had violated the human rights of “health, well-being and quality of life.”
For Context: The verdict marks the first time the court ruled on climate litigation, and the verdict cannot be appealed. Two other similar cases were thrown out by the court on Tuesday, however, including one brought by six Portuguese youngsters against 32 European countries and another by a former French mayor against France. The latter case was moved on to Brussels, the EU’s administrative center.
Key Quotes: Court President Siofra O'Leary told the courtroom the violations “included a failure to quantify, through a carbon budget or otherwise, national greenhouse gas emissions limitations.”
How The Media Covered It: Outlets across the spectrum noted the ripple effect the ruling could have on the rest of Europe and the world. Reuters (Center bias) suggested the verdict “could compel the government to take greater action on reducing emissions, including revising its 2030 emissions reductions targets to get in line with the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.”
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From the Left
International court rules Switzerland violated human rights in landmark climate case brought by 2,000 women
An international court in France on Tuesday ruled Switzerland’s failure to adequately tackle the climate crisis was in violation of human rights, in a landmark climate judgment that could have a ripple effect across the globe.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, France delivered its ruling in a case brought by more than 2,000 Swiss women, the majority of whom are in their 70s, against Switzerland’s government. They argued that climate change-fueled heat waves undermined their health and quality of life, and put them at risk of dying.
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Swiss women win landmark climate victory at human rights court
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled on Tuesday in favour of a group of elderly Swiss women who had argued that their government's inadequate efforts to combat climate change put them at risk of dying during heatwaves.
The European court's decision on the case, brought by more than 2,000 women, could have a ripple effect across Europe and beyond, setting a precedent for how some courts deal with the rising tide of climate litigation argued on the basis of human rights infringements.
Court President Siofra O'Leary said the...
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Climate change inaction violated women’s human rights, ECHR rules
The European Court of Human Rights has made a landmark ruling that governments have a duty to protect people from climate change.
In a case brought by a group of elderly Swiss women, the Strasbourg judges ruled that Switzerland was not doing enough to tackle climate change.
The ruling is binding and can trickle down to influence the law in 46 countries in Europe including the UK. The court found that the Swiss state had violated Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees the “right to respect...
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