These Elderly Swiss Women Sued The Government For Not Doing Enough To Fight Climate Change And Won
The women argued that the government's inaction violated the rights of elderly women, who are particularly impacted by heatwaves caused by climate change due to their age and gender.
A group of elderly Swiss women sued the government for not doing enough to fight climate change and won.
Almost nine years ago in 2016, a group of Swiss women aged 64 and older formed an organization to fight for their fundamental right to life and health in the face of the climate crisis.
In 2020, the group of more than 2,000 women sued the Swiss government at Europe’s highest human rights court for failing to act on reducing carbon emissions.
The women argued that the government's inaction violated the rights of elderly women, who are particularly impacted by heatwaves caused by climate change due to their age and gender.
On Tuesday, April 9, the court ruled in favor of the women, finding the Swiss government had failed to comply with its duties to fight climate change and cut emissions.
This is the first time a human rights court has ruled that protecting people against the effects of climate change is a basic human right.
Switzerland must now revise its climate targets and policy to take greater action on reducing emissions.
The verdict, which cannot be appealed, also serves as a legal precedent in Europe for people to sue their governments for climate inaction.
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg celebrated the victory with the women, saying it is only the beginning of the journey to achieving climate justice.
Speaking after the verdict, the women said that they were not doing this for themselves but for the sake of their children and their children’s children.
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Sofia Hou
Sofia Hou
