Europe's top human rights court recognizes the duty of nations to shield their citizens from climate change's harms, highlighted by a landmark win for Swiss senior women but dismisses a youth-led case on emission reductions.
Molly Quell and Raf Casert report for the Associated Press.
In short:
- The European Court of Human Rights rules member countries must protect citizens from climate change, setting a legal precedent.
- The court's decision supports over 2,000 Swiss women in their climate protection efforts, while other plaintiffs faced defeat.
- This ruling marks the first international court decision on climate change, potentially paving the way for future legal challenges.
Key quote:
“This is a turning point.”
— Corina Heri, an expert in climate change litigation at the University of Zurich
Why this matters:
The court's judgment underscores the increasing legal acknowledgment of climate change as a critical human rights issue and further signals a growing trend toward intergenerational environmental coalitions and their effectiveness.
