“Swiss Parliament Rejects Historic Climate Ruling – What’s Next?”

The Swiss Parliament met during its summer session in Bern, Switzerland on June 10, 2024, and made a controversial decision regarding a landmark climate ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). In a vote that has significant implications for the legal precedent of citizens suing their governments over climate change impacts, Switzerland’s parliament rejected the ECHR’s ruling in favor of a group of older Swiss women.

The group of women, known as KlimaSeniorinnen, consists of more than 2,000 women over the age of 64 who filed a lawsuit claiming that Switzerland’s inadequate response to the climate crisis, particularly heat waves, had put their health at risk. The women’s victory in April was seen as a significant win, as it set a precedent for legal challenges against countries slow to transition to renewable economic systems within the Council of Europe.

However, members of the lower house of the Swiss parliament voted 111 to 72 to disregard the ECHR’s verdict, arguing that Switzerland’s response to the climate crisis had been sufficient. They accused the judges of engaging in “inadmissible and disproportionate judicial activism.”

The decision has sparked outrage among environmental activists and legal experts. Rosmarie Wydler-Wälti, co-president of KlimaSeniorinnen, called the parliament’s declaration a betrayal of older women and all those suffering from the real consequences of global warming. Legal researchers like Corina Heri from the University of Zürich expressed concerns about the dangerous precedent set by Switzerland’s refusal to comply with the ECHR ruling.

If the Swiss women believe their country is not adhering to the ruling, they have the option to complain to a Council of Europe committee that monitors ECHR ruling compliance. Raphael Mahaim, a lawyer for KlimaSeniorinnen, stated that the group is considering filing a complaint.

While it is possible for Switzerland to face expulsion from the Council of Europe if it does not comply with the ruling, legal experts believe that pressure will be exerted on the country to accept the judgment. Failure to do so could have significant political and social repercussions for Switzerland.

The decision by the Swiss parliament to reject the ECHR’s climate ruling has raised concerns about the role of legal oversight in democratic governance. Experts warn that Switzerland’s refusal to comply could set a concerning precedent and undermine the monitoring system designed to ensure compliance with human rights judgments.

Overall, the rejection of the ECHR’s climate ruling by Switzerland’s parliament has sparked a heated debate and raised questions about the country’s commitment to addressing the climate crisis and upholding human rights standards. The implications of this decision are likely to reverberate both domestically and internationally in the coming months.