Swiss government criticises ruling of European Court on climate protection
Keystone / Georgios Kefalas
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Listening: Swiss government criticises ruling of European Court on climate protection
The governing Federal Council has criticised the recent interpretation of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) concerning climate protection. It considers that Switzerland meets the requirements of the ruling in terms of its climate policy.
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The Federal Council criticised the broad interpretation of the ECHR in its ruling on the Elderly for Climate case. In its view, the case law should not lead to an extension of the Court’s scope of application.
“The Federal Council is of the opinion that Switzerland meets the climate policy requirements of the judgment. In particular, with the revised CO2 Act of March 15, 2024, Switzerland has defined measures to achieve its 2030 climate targets,” said a statement released on Wednesday.
On April 9, Europe’s top human rights court ruled in favour of a group of elderly Swiss women who said the government’s inadequate efforts to combat climate change put them at risk of dying during heatwaves. The ruling is final and has set a precedent. For the first time, a country has been held legally accountable on this issue.
Adapted from French by DeepL/ac
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