Switzerland ‘violated human rights’ by not tackling climate change quickly enough, rules ECHR in landmark case

Switzerland ‘violated human rights’ by not tackling climate change quickly enough, rules ECHR in landmark case

The case sets a precedent that could see national governments across Europe sued for not pursuing a sufficiently aggressive climate agenda

National governments are infringing on citizens’ human rights by not doing enough to tackle climate change, the European Court of Human Rights has held in a landmark ruling that could have far-reaching consequences and influence climate policy across the continent.

In a highly-anticipated judgment, the Strasbourg court on Tuesday sided with a group of Swiss pensioners who brought a claim against their national government for its perceived failure to act sufficiently in reducing carbon emissions, claiming that existing climate policy was violating their human rights.

The members of the KlimaSeniorinnen group, supported by environmental campaign groups such as Greenpeace, argued that elderly citizens are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, citing the fact that excess deaths occur more regularly among the elderly during periods of extreme heat because they are less able to regulate their body temperature.

The group also claimed that heat waves impact the mental well-being of elderly citizens more because they are less able to go outside and withstand the heat, which they argue affects their quality of life.

The association relied on Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the general right to life, and Article 8, which guarantees the right to private and family life.

The Vlad Tepes Blog comments:

So your basic human rights and liberties can now be taken away because of the weather if governments don’t want to be sued. And now we know why wars are not the worst thing that can happen. End the COMINTERN now.