Swiss court case ties human rights to climate change

More than 2,000 women are suing the Swiss government for allegedly infringing their right to life and health through its climate change policies.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) will consider the case as the first one involving the effects of climate change on human rights. It comes after six years of futile court fighting in Switzerland.

Switzerland’s temperatures are rising faster than the average for the world, and heatwaves are happening more frequently. The 73-year-old average age of the Swiss women claim that the threat of climate change puts their life, health, and even human rights in jeopardy. Their medical records were submitted as evidence to the court.

They urge Switzerland to make a bigger effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions by issuing an order from the ECHR. The Swiss government acknowledges that climate change can have an impact on health, but claims that it cannot be directly linked to the wellbeing of older women.

If the women prevail, the case might serve as a precedent for all 46 of the nations that make up the European Court. Human activity is causing global temperatures to rise, and climate change now threatens every aspect of human existence.

Unchecked global warming will have disastrous effects on humanity and ecosystems, including increased droughts, rising sea levels, and a mass extinction of species.

Globally, extreme weather events are already getting more and more dangerous, endangering lives and livelihoods.

Climate scientists believe that if we wish to prevent the worst effects of climate change, temperature rises must be curbed. They claim that by 2100, global warming must be limited to 1.5C.

If the increase in global temperature is not maintained to 1.5C, Europe will be at risk of flooding brought on by excessive precipitation, according to the UN climate organisation, the IPCC.

This was the case in Europe last summer, extreme temperatures can also raise the risk of wildfires. In comparison to the average, France and Germany burned nearly seven times more land between January and the middle of July 2022.

Picture Courtesy: Google/images are subject to copyright