news
Summary:
- The European Court of Human Rights ruled that Switzerland violated human rights by not doing enough to cut national greenhouse gas emissions
- This landmark judgment sets a precedent for other states to take more action on climate change to protect human rights
- Climate litigation is a growing trend around the world, with courts increasingly linking climate change with human rights violations
- Pressure is mounting on governments to increase climate policy efforts and reduce planet-warming emissions following the ruling
Quotes:
- In a landmark judgment issued today, the European Court of Human Rights upheld a complaint brought by more than 2,000 older Swiss women, saying their government had violated their rights to life and to respect for private and family life under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
- It ruled that Article 8 of the ECHR, which refers to the right to a private and family life and home, “encompasses a right to effective protection by the State authorities from the serious adverse effects of climate change on lives, health, well-being and quality of life”.
- The 17-judge panel ruled today that there were critical gaps in Switzerland’s attempt to put a domestic climate regulation framework in place.
- It said Swiss authorities had failed to quantify how they would cut national greenhouse gas emissions, through a carbon budget or otherwise, and had failed to meet past emission reduction targets.
Read the full post at Climate Home News.
