- By Imogen Foulkes & Adam Durbin
- BBC News
March 29, 2023 at 01:50 CET
Updated 1 hour ago
picture description,
Glaciers in the Alps are particularly threatened by rising temperatures due to climate change
More than 2,000 women are suing the Swiss government claiming its climate policies violate their right to life and health.
The case marks the first time the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) is hearing a case on the impact of climate change on human rights.
Six years of unsuccessful battles by the Swiss courts followed.
Temperatures in Switzerland are rising faster than the global average and heat waves are becoming more frequent.
The Swiss women, who call themselves the Club of Climate Seniors and have an average age of 73, say climate change is putting their human rights, their health and even their lives at risk. Her evidence for the court includes her medical records.
They want the ECtHR to order Switzerland to work harder to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“This is a historic event,” said club member Anne Mahrer, 64, to the AFP news agency.
Climate change is disproportionately affecting older people due to cardiovascular and respiratory risks, she said.
The European Climate and Health Observatory says projected increases in average temperature are likely to have “serious public health implications” across Europe, particularly among older people.
Over the past 20 years, heat-related mortality among people over 65 in Europe has increased by more than 30%, it said.
The Swiss government doesn’t deny that climate change can affect health – but says it can’t be specifically linked to older women’s health.
If the women are successful, the case could set a precedent for any of the 46 member states of the European Court of Justice.
According to climate scientists, the rise in temperature must be slowed down if we are to avoid the worst effects of climate change. They say global warming must be kept to 1.5 degrees by 2100.
According to the UN climate agency IPCC, Europe will be vulnerable to flooding from extreme rainfall if global temperature rise cannot be contained to 1.5°C.
Extreme temperatures can also increase the risk of wildfires – as seen in Europe last summer. Between January and mid-July 2022, France and Germany recorded around seven times more area burned than average.
You might also be interested in:
video caption,
The world’s largest ice rink has been closed due to a lack of ice