Switzerland has been told it needs to do more to protect the environment. The Council of Europe’s committee of ministers announced this week that the Swiss government is not meeting its climate targets. The decision comes after a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights.
Last year a group which is known as KlimaSeniorinnen which was made up of more than 2,000 older Swiss women won a historic case. They argued that high temperatures and heatwaves were hurting their health and violating their rights to privacy and family life. The court ruled that Switzerland must cut its greenhouse gas emissions to protect vulnerable people. This was the first time the court directly ruled on a climate issue, and the decision affected all 46 Council of Europe member states.
But there is no change in condition, the Swiss government has not updated its national climate plans to meet the court’s requirements. The ministers rejected Switzerland’s request to close the case, saying more ambitious action is needed.
Critics say this slow response puts Switzerland at risk as climate change worsens. Stay tuned for more on this developing story.
