In a landmark move, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has condemned Switzerland for its inadequate response to climate change, applauded by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
Thunberg celebrated the ruling as "only the beginning" of climate litigation and highlighted increasing global efforts to hold governments legally accountable for their environmental actions. "We must not back down, we must fight harder because this is only the beginning," she stated in Strasbourg following the historic ECHR hearing.
The young activist affirmed the use of all available tools for climate justice, criticising the continued rise in emissions and lack of proper action. "We won’t give up", she vowed.
She reiterated the urgency of the climate emergency, cautioning of the danger posed to people, animals, ecosystems, and entire countries. "The time for panic is long overdue as we are in a planetary emergency," stressed Thunberg.
The ECHR found Switzerland in violation of the Human Rights Convention following a claim by a group of elderly women. This is the first time that the court has condemned a state for not taking sufficient steps to combat climate change.
The court determined that Article 8 of the convention ensures a right to effective protection by state authorities against the grave harmful effects of climate change on life, health, well-being, and quality of life, the ECHR announced on Tuesday.
