Verdict saying Switzerland violated rights by failing on climate action could ripple across Europe
STRASBOURG, France (AP) Europes highest human rights court ruled Tuesday that countries must better protect their people from the consequences of climate change, siding with a group of older Swiss women against their government in a landmark ruling that could have implications across the continent.
The European Court of Human Rights rejected two other, similar cases on procedural grounds a high-profile one brought by Portuguese young people and another by a French mayor that sought to force governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
But the Swiss case, nonetheless, sets a legal precedent in the Council of Europes 46 member states against which future lawsuits will be judged.
This is a turning point, said Corina Heri, an expert in climate change litigation at the University of Zurich.
https://apnews.com/article/europe-eu-climate-court-human-rights-3b540a965aff7e2b49f1451c7a328e77 rs