The European Human Rights court has ruled that the Swiss Government had violated its own citizens’ human rights through a lack of action towards slowing climate change.
A group, KlimaSeniorinnen (Senior Women for Climate Protection) brought the case forward to the court in Strasbourg, France, and stated that they believed that Switzerland hadn’t met targets set to reduce carbon emissions in the country and that they should be ordered to act.
This is a huge turning point for global climate issues, with citizens having a say in their Government’s actions towards their futures. Will this new win in a climate-related lawsuit against a government be the
The women, age 64 and up, said that their health was at risk during heat waves related to global warming. They argued that the Swiss government, by not doing enough to mitigate against global warming, had violated their rights.
It is the latest decision in a broader wave of climate-related lawsuits that aim to push governments to act against global warming, and countries’ domestic courts have handled similar cases.
