Switzerland’s Climate Shortfalls Violate Human Rights, European Court Rules
Europe’s top human rights court said on Tuesday that the Swiss government had violated its citizens’ human rights by not doing enough to stop climate change, a landmark ruling that experts said could bolster activists hoping to use human rights law to hold governments to account.The court, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, “has actually said that by not meeting its targets on climate, Switzerland has violated the rights of the European human rights convention,” said Annalisa Savaresi, a professor of environmental law at University of Stirling in Scotland. She said that national courts would be closely watching the ruling. “This is huge.”With many countries failing to meet their climate targets, the decision could influence similar cases before national courts, Dr. Savaresi said, and would put a “spring in the steps” of such applicants.On Tuesday the court ruled on three cases filed by members of the public who argued that their governments, by not doing enough to mitigate against climate change, were violating their citizens’ rights under the European Convention on Human Rights. It rejected as inadmissible two of the cases, which were brought by the former mayor of a coastal town in France and a group of young people in Portugal.The court ordered Switzerland to pay 80,000 euros, about $87,000, to the group that brought the case to cover its costs and expenses.The Swiss government had argued that human rights law does not apply to climate change, and that addressing it should be a political process. But Switzerland’s federal office of justice, which represents the country at the European court, said in a statement that the Swiss authorities would analyze the judgment and examine “the measures which Switzerland has to take for the future.”Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like.
Experts said it was the first time an international court determined that governments were legally obligated to meet their climate targets under human rights law.
Europe’s top human rights court said on Tuesday that the Swiss government had violated its citizens’ human rights by not doing enough to stop climate change, a landmark ruling that experts said could bolster activists hoping to use human rights law to hold governments to account.
The court, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, “has actually said that by not meeting its targets on climate, Switzerland has violated the rights of the European human rights convention,” said Annalisa Savaresi, a professor of environmental law at University of Stirling in Scotland. She said that national courts would be closely watching the ruling. “This is huge.”
With many countries failing to meet their climate targets, the decision could influence similar cases before national courts, Dr. Savaresi said, and would put a “spring in the steps” of such applicants.
On Tuesday the court ruled on three cases filed by members of the public who argued that their governments, by not doing enough to mitigate against climate change, were violating their citizens’ rights under the European Convention on Human Rights. It rejected as inadmissible two of the cases, which were brought by the former mayor of a coastal town in France and a group of young people in Portugal.
The court ordered Switzerland to pay 80,000 euros, about $87,000, to the group that brought the case to cover its costs and expenses.
The Swiss government had argued that human rights law does not apply to climate change, and that addressing it should be a political process. But Switzerland’s federal office of justice, which represents the country at the European court, said in a statement that the Swiss authorities would analyze the judgment and examine “the measures which Switzerland has to take for the future.”
Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like.