Swiss Govt Denounces Landmark European Court Climate Ruling

AFP/APP

Geneva: The Swiss government on Wednesday criticized a landmark ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, which found Switzerland guilty of not taking adequate action to combat climate change.

The April ruling marked the first time a country was condemned by an international tribunal for insufficient climate action, citing a violation of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which ensures the “right to respect for private and family life.”

The case was brought forward by the Swiss association Elders for Climate Protection, composed of 2,500 women with an average age of 73. The group argues that climate protection should be recognized as a human right, and that Switzerland’s inadequate efforts have negatively impacted their health and lives.

Following the ruling, Switzerland’s largest political party, the Swiss People’s Party, called for the country’s withdrawal from the Council of Europe. Both houses of parliament rejected the court’s decision.

Despite reaffirming its commitment to the Council of Europe and the European Convention on Human Rights, the Swiss government expressed criticism of the court’s broad interpretation of the convention in relation to climate protection. The government also argued that Switzerland’s revised carbon dioxide laws, enacted in March 2023, address the court’s concerns and meet the climate policy requirements.

However, Elders for Climate Protection and Greenpeace Switzerland condemned the government’s response, accusing it of maintaining a climate policy that violates human rights and failing to provide scientific evidence to support its position.

They noted that Switzerland has yet to present concrete figures for its national carbon budget, even as the country recently approved a law in June to accelerate renewable energy development as part of its goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.