Switzerland’s Climate Shortfalls Violate Rights, European Court Rules
Switzerland's Climate Shortfalls Violate Rights, European Court Rules The New York Times
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Europe’s Top Human Rights Court Rules Swiss Government Violated Citizens’ Rights in Climate Change Case
But the court ruled as inadmissible two other climate-related attempts to hold governments accountable.
Europe’s top human rights court said in a landmark ruling on Tuesday that the Swiss government had violated its citizens’ human rights by not doing enough to stop climate change.
But the court rejected climate-related cases brought by the former mayor of a coastal town in France and a group of young people in Portugal as inadmissible.
The cases, the first of their kind to be heard at the court, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, are part of a broader movement of climate-related lawsuits that aim to use human rights law to push governments to act against global warming.
The rulings focused on three cases, filed by members of the public in France, Portugal and Switzerland who argued that their governments, by not doing enough to mitigate climate change, were violating the citizens’ rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.
A group of Swiss women age 64 and up — known as the KlimaSeniorinnen, or Senior Women for Climate Protection — argued in their lawsuit that the Swiss government’s failure to reduce greenhouse emissions enough to stop global warming has violated their rights to life and autonomy.
With heat waves sweeping Switzerland in recent summers and older women particularly vulnerable to heat-related illnesses, the litigants said that the government had not acted enough to protect their final decades. The Swiss government argues that human rights law does not apply to climate change, and that addressing it should be a political process.
A second case focuses on a complaint by Damien Carême, a former mayor of Grande-Synthe, a town on the coast of the English Channel, that France has taken insufficient steps to prevent global warming, thus endangering the town.
Mr. Carême, who was the town’s mayor from 2001 to 2019 and is now a member of the European Parliament for France’s Green party, argued that this failure violates the right to life, which is enshrined in European law. The town of Grande-Synthe is expected to be particularly affected as it faces an increased flooding risk in the coming decades because of climate change.
Six Portuguese young people born from 1999 to 2012 argued in a third case that the current and future effects of climate change — including heat waves, wildfires and the smoke from those blazes — are affecting their lives, well-being and mental health. They blamed 33 Paris Climate Agreement signatory countries in the region for failing to comply with their commitments to reduce greenhouse emissions.
Introduction
Swiss Women vs. Switzerland
Damien Carême vs. France
Portuguese Youth vs. 33 Countries
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators in the Article
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 13: Climate Action
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
The article discusses climate change and its impact on human rights, particularly the right to life and well-being. This aligns with SDG 13, which focuses on taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. Additionally, the article mentions the vulnerability of older women to heat-related illnesses, linking it to SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters
- SDG 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning
- SDG 3.4: Reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment
The article highlights the failure of governments to mitigate climate change and protect their citizens from its impacts. This relates to SDG 13.1, which aims to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards. The article also mentions the need for governments to integrate climate change measures into their policies and planning, aligning with SDG 13.2. Additionally, the vulnerability of older women to heat-related illnesses connects to SDG 3.4, which focuses on reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Number of climate change adaptation measures implemented by governments
- Level of integration of climate change measures in national policies and planning
- Number of heat-related illnesses and deaths among vulnerable populations
The article does not explicitly mention specific indicators, but it implies the need to measure the progress of governments in implementing climate change adaptation measures and integrating them into national policies and planning. Additionally, monitoring the number of heat-related illnesses and deaths among vulnerable populations, such as older women, can serve as an indicator of progress towards protecting public health in the face of climate change.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 13: Climate Action | 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters | Number of climate change adaptation measures implemented by governments |
| SDG 13: Climate Action | 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning | Level of integration of climate change measures in national policies and planning |
| SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | 3.4: Reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment | Number of heat-related illnesses and deaths among vulnerable populations |
Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.
Source: nytimes.com
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