Climate Change and the Protection of Human Rights in the Case-Law of the European Court of Human Rights: An Analysis of the Case of KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz v. Switzerland
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33919/ljnbu.26.1.9Keywords:
climate change, right to a clean and healthy environment, European Convention on Human Rights, access to justice, class-action lawsuitsAbstract
Climate change poses new challenges to the protection of human rights and requires a rethinking of traditional legal concepts. This article provides an analysis of the significance of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decision in the case of Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz v. Switzerland in the context of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). This paper reviews the factual circumstances of the case, the interplay between the right to life (Art. 2 of the ECHR) and the right to respect for private and family life (Art. 8 of the ECHR) in the context of harm caused by climate change, as well as the right of access to justice (Article 6(1) of the ECHR). The present paper also examines the issue of legal standing under Article 34 of the ECHR and the role of nonprofit legal entities in climate-related cases. An analysis of the decision shows that it represents an important step in the development of European case law, affirming the positive obligations of states to protect citizens from the consequences of climate change and strengthening the role of civil society in the protection of human rights.
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