Розмарі Відер-Валті та Анна Марер, представниці Асоціації «Жінки похилого віку за захист клімату», під час слухання. Фото: Reuters
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the local Association of Elderly Women, claimed that the Swiss government was not doing enough to combat climate change and that this was increasing the risk of death during heat waves.
As reported by Reuters, The European Court sided with the women, ruling that the government was violating people’s rights. At the same time, two other climate-related cases were rejected — on procedural grounds. The first was filed by a group of six young Portuguese men against 32 European governments, and the second by the former mayor of a French coastal city.
The association, which includes women aged 64 and older, argued that their government’s inaction on climate puts them at risk of dying in heat waves. They also said that their age and gender make them particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
In her ruling, Chief Justice Siofra O’Leary stated that the Swiss government had failed to meet its own greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and had failed to set a national carbon budget
«It is clear that future generations will bear an increasing burden of the consequences of current failures and omissions in the fight against climate change», — says O’Leary.
One of the leaders of the Association, Rosemary Widler-Walti, said that it was difficult for her to realize the full extent of the decision.
«We ask our lawyers all the time: «Is this right?». And they answer: «This is the most you could get. The biggest victory possible».
Switzerland has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
The Swiss Federal Office of Justice, which represented the government in court, took note of the decision:
«Together with the relevant authorities, we will now analyze the decision and see what measures Switzerland can take in the future».
The current verdict may also affect future decisions of the Strasbourg Court, which has suspended six other climate cases. Among them is a lawsuit against the Norwegian government, which claims that it has violated human rights by issuing new licenses for oil and gas exploration in the Barents Sea after 2035.
Courts in Australia, Brazil, Peru, and South Korea are also considering climate-related human rights cases. Last month, India’s Supreme Court ruled that citizens have the right to be exempt from the adverse effects of climate change.