European court rules human rights violated by climate inaction

World 08:50 10.04.2024

A group of older Swiss women have won the first ever climate case victory in the European Court of Human Rights, Ednews reports.

The women, mostly in their 70s, said that their age and gender made them particularly vulnerable to the effects of heatwaves linked to climate change.

The court said Switzerland's efforts to meet its emission reduction targets had been woefully inadequate.

It is the first time the powerful court has ruled on global warming.

Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg joined activists celebrating at the court in Strasbourg on Tuesday.

"We still can't really believe it. We keep asking our lawyers, 'is that right?' Rosemarie Wydler-Walti, one of the leaders of the Swiss women, told Reuters news agency. "And they tell us it's the most you could have had. The biggest victory possible."

"This is only the beginning of climate litigation," said Ms Thunberg. "This means that we have to fight even more, since this is only the beginning. Because in a climate emergency, everything is at stake."

The ruling is binding and can trickle down to influence the law in 46 countries in Europe including the UK.

The Court ruled that Switzerland had "failed to comply with its duties under the Convention concerning climate change" and that it had violated the right to respect for private and family life.

It also found that "there had been critical gaps" in the country's policies to tackle climate change including failing to quantify reductions in greenhouse gases - those gases that warm Earth's atmosphere when we burn fossil fuels like oil, coal and gas.

The Swiss women, called KlimaSeniorinnen or Senior Women for Climate Protection, argued that they cannot leave their homes and suffer health attacks during heatwaves in Switzerland.

On Tuesday data showed that last month was the world's warmest March on record, meaning the temperature records have broken ten months in a row.

More than 2,000 women are in the KlimaSeniorinnen group. They launched the case nine years ago, calling for better protection of women's health in relation to climate change.

Swiss President Viola Amherd told a news conference that she needed to read the judgement in detail before commenting, according to Reuters news agency.

She said: "Sustainability is very important to Switzerland, biodiversity is very important to Switzerland, the net zero target is very important to Switzerland."

The court dismissed two other cases brought by six Portuguese young people and a former French mayor. Both argued that European governments had failed to tackle climate change quickly enough, violating their rights.

IEPF issued a statement regarding Azerbaijani children at the UN Human Rights Council

News line

Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan Investment Company Finances Projects Worth $360 Million
15:50 21.06.2025
Special closed OIC Foreign Ministers meeting to be held in Istanbul at Iran's request
15:45 21.06.2025
Over 740 Chinese citizens evacuated from Iran to Azerbaijan
15:37 21.06.2025
Mirzoyan, Kallas discuss Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization
15:30 21.06.2025
Turkish President Erdogan says region won't withstand new war
15:27 21.06.2025
Turkish FM Fidan Urges Global Action to End Sudan Conflict, Calls for Support to Syria and Turkish Cypriots
15:15 21.06.2025
Israel Strikes Military Facility in Shiraz: Details of the Operation
15:02 21.06.2025
Massive Israeli Air Strikes Hit Missile Sites in Iran's Tabriz and Kermanshah
15:39 20.06.2025
Pashinyan arrives in Türkiye on working visit
14:56 20.06.2025
Erdogan, Merz mull Israel-Iran conflict in phone call
14:07 20.06.2025
Mher Grigoryan: Azerbaijan, Armenia continue to work within border delimitation
13:03 20.06.2025
Araghchi: UN Security Council Must Respond to Israeli Attack on Khondab Nuclear Facility
11:00 20.06.2025
Belarus Contributing to Development of Azerbaijan's Industry, Says Ambassador
10:59 20.06.2025
Netherlands Embassy in Tel Aviv Damaged During Iran's Missile Strike
13:05 19.06.2025
Azerbaijan and BP Discuss Decarbonization and Energy Projects Amid Strengthening Strategic Partnership
13:00 19.06.2025
Delegates of 65th PABSEC General Assembly Begin Official Visit to Karabakh
11:54 19.06.2025
UK, German, and French Foreign Ministers to Hold High-Level Talks with Iran on June 20 in Geneva
11:44 19.06.2025
Ambassador: Azerbaijan Ready to Cooperate with Mexico in Energy Transition
11:10 19.06.2025
Azerbaijan Showcases Literary Heritage at Beijing International Book Fair
17:00 18.06.2025
Minsk Hosts Public Discussion on Return to Western Azerbaijan
16:55 18.06.2025
German Foreign Minister Urges Iran to Make Concessions, Supports Israel’s Concerns
16:41 18.06.2025
Explosions Rock Eastern Tehran Amid Escalating Israel-Iran Tensions
15:38 18.06.2025
Türkiye’s Strategic Role in the Turkic World Genci Muçaj
15:10 18.06.2025
Khamenei: Iran Will Emerge Victorious in Conflict With Israel
13:51 18.06.2025
Mobilization Against Peace: Armenia's Return to a Radical Past
17:01 17.06.2025
Israel prepares more complex operation against Iran
13:50 17.06.2025
Armenia and India discuss evacuation of Indian students from Iran
12:01 17.06.2025
Navies of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan start joint exercises
11:58 17.06.2025
Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency: 1,258 hectares cleared of mines last week
11:53 17.06.2025
More than 600 citizens of 17 countries evacuated from Iran via Azerbaijan
11:44 17.06.2025
IEA: Azerbaijan falls short of OPEC+ quota by 0.08 million b/d in May
11:41 17.06.2025
Iran attacks military sites in Tel Aviv, Haifa with 'new weapon' and drones
11:37 17.06.2025
Foreign diplomats briefed on addressing IDP issues in Azerbaijan
11:33 17.06.2025
Israeli-linked hackers claim to have hacked Iran's Bank Sepah
11:29 17.06.2025
Turkic states' investment promotion platform launched
10:53 17.06.2025
Israel strengthens borders with Egypt and Jordan, some troops withdrawn from Gaza
15:16 16.06.2025
Israel says it has full control of Tehran's airspace
15:11 16.06.2025
Poland plans to evacuate its citizens in Israel via Jordan
15:07 16.06.2025
10 Tajik citizens evacuated from Iran via Azerbaijan
13:58 16.06.2025
Erdogan and Pezeshkian spoke by phone, discussing Turkey's mediation
13:52 16.06.2025
Hamısı