The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, declared that Switzerland had not met its goal to reduce carbon emissions and must act to address this shortcoming. This ruling sets a precedent by stating that governments have a legal obligation to fulfill their climate objectives under human rights law.
This case, brought by a group called KlimaSeniorinnen, highlighted the health risks faced by older women during heatwaves linked to global warming. It represents part of a broader wave of climate-related lawsuits aiming to pressure governments into action, with national courts handling similar cases.
The significance of this ruling lies in it being the first instance where an international court has explicitly stated governments' legal duty to meet climate goals under human rights law. It signals the acknowledgement of a climate crisis as a human rights crisis, as noted by Joie Chowdhury from the International Environmental Law Centre.
#european-court-of-human-rights #climate-change-activism #human-rights-legislation #climate-related-lawsuits #government-accountability
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