The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled in favor of a group of elderly Swiss women who had filed a case against their government, arguing that inadequate efforts to combat climate change endangered their lives during heatwaves. The court's decision is significant as it could set a precedent for how other courts handle climate litigation based on human rights infringements.
Court President Siofra O'Leary stated that the Swiss government had violated the human right to a private and family life by not implementing sufficient domestic policies to address climate change. This included a failure to establish national greenhouse gas emissions limitations and meet past emission reduction targets.
The ruling has been hailed by the global civic movement Avaaz as a crucial precedent for successfully holding governments accountable for climate failures through legal means. While the court dismissed two other similar cases, the verdict in the Swiss women's case underscores the imperative for governments to take stronger action to reduce emissions to protect human rights.
The Swiss government, as a result of the ruling, may be compelled to intensify its efforts to reduce emissions, potentially revising its 2030 emissions reduction targets to align with the goals of the Paris Agreement. These cases reflect a growing trend of communities using human rights law to challenge governments on climate-related issues, highlighting the increasing importance of addressing climate change as a human rights issue.
