ECHR Issues Landmark Ruling Condemning Switzerland for Failure to Act on Climate Change

Brussels: The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued Tuesday a landmark decision against Switzerland for its failure to act on climate change, a legally binding decision, and set a precedent for the judiciary that convicted one of the 46 member states of the Council of Europe for the first time. The ECHR, whose mission is to verify that member states respect the rights and guarantees stipulated in the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, found that a violation had occurred of Article 8 (the right to respect for private and family life) and Article 6 (recourse to court). Thus, confirming that Article 8 enshrines the right to effective protection provided by state authorities from the perilous and harmful effects of climate change on life, health, well-being, and quality of life. The petition was submitted by a group called "Senior Women for Climate Protection Switzerland," which includes 2,500 Swiss women, with an average age of 73 years, denouncing the failure of the Swiss authorities to mitigate the effects of climate change, which leads to adverse impacts on their living conditions and health. Source: Qatar News Agency