Swiss Failed Citizens on Climate, Human Rights Court Says
- Ruling hinges on link between climate change and human rights
- Plaintiffs cited forest fires, flooding as threats to life
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Switzerland failed to protect its citizens from the ravages of climate change, the European Court of Human Rights said in a landmark ruling likely to have ramifications across the continent.
In a first-of-its-kind case, brought by four women and a Swiss senior-citizens’ association, the Strasbourg, France-based court ruled on Tuesday by a margin of 16 to one that the “Swiss Confederation had failed to comply with its duties” concerning climate change and so violated their right to respect for private and family life.