Europe's leading human rights court has declared that protection from climate change is a fundamental human right, opening the door for individuals to sue their governments over environmental inaction.
Federica Di Sario reports for POLITICO.
In short:
- Europe's top human rights court has decided that safety from climate change is a human right, affecting nearly 50 governments and around 700 million people.
- This precedent-setting judgment allows for national lawsuits against governments for failing to protect citizens from climate dangers.
- Despite dismissing two other climate cases on technical grounds, the court provided guidance for future litigation, suggesting a new pathway for climate-related legal actions.
Key quote:
The verdict will serve "as a blueprint for how to successfully sue your own government over climate failures."
— Ruth Delbaere, legal specialist at Avaaz
Why this matters:
The acknowledgment of climate safety as a fundamental human right represents a new level of commitment to protecting the most vulnerable populations from the adverse effects of environmental degradation.
