UN Experts Urge Switzerland And Other States To Step Up Climate Action One Year After Landmark Climate Ruling

GENEVA (9 April 2025) – UN experts* today called on Switzerland, and other European States, to urgently step up efforts to meet their international obligations on climate change mitigation and adaptation, one year after a landmark ruling by the European Court of Human Rights clarifying Switzerland’s human rights responsibilities in the face of the climate crisis.

In 2020, a group of individuals and Verein Klimaseniorinnen Schweiz – a climate protection association representing more than 2,000 women of 64 years old and over – filed a complaint against Switzerland before the European Court alleging human rights violations due to the State’s failure to meet its climate commitments.

“The court ruled in their favour. This decision was a historic breakthrough also at the European and global levels,” the experts said.

They stressed that the case highlighted the inadequacy of Switzerland’s past measures to address climate change and prevent human rights violations, as well as the inadequacy of current efforts to mitigate climate change, putting human rights at risk.

“The European Court’s ruling underscores the importance of each State doing its fair share to reduce emissions, based on the global reductions needed to prevent ongoing and worsening human rights violations — particularly for groups in vulnerable situations, such as older women, who face distinct and disproportionate harm to their health and private lives from heatwaves,” the experts said.

In March 2025, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, in charge of monitoring the implementation of the decision, required more information on the action plan submitted by Switzerland to fulfil its obligations.

“This confirms the paramount importance of public access to information to ensure the protection of all human rights in the context of climate change,” the experts said.

“All States must inform the public about the measures that are prioritised, the risks associated with the timing of emission reductions and the mitigation technologies relied upon, and any information that would enable the public to take action to prevent or mitigate harm to human health,” they said. They welcomed specific questions from the Committee on the methodology for quantifying national greenhouse gas emission limitations according to the best available science, such as a fair share of the global carbon budget not exceeding the 1.5°C global average temperature limit, and any national monitoring mechanism.

The experts noted that the Committee required more information on progress on adaptation, such as measures to mitigate the most severe or imminent impacts of climate change, particularly for those in the most vulnerable situations. “We invite Switzerland and other States to draw on the extensive guidance onintersectionality elaborated by UN Special Procedures and Treaty Bodies to ensure that adaptation measures do not reduce the vulnerability of one group at the expense of others, future generations or the environment,” they said.

The experts also strongly welcomed the Committee’s request for more information on the effectiveness of public consultations in the implementation of the judgement. They stressed the need to ensure meaningful representation of people whose human rights are disproportionately affected by climate change, in particular older persons, persons with disabilities, women and children, as agents of change and seriously consider their lived experiences as part of the evidence base for climate action.

“The Committee will reconvene in September 2025 and this is an opportunity for Switzerland to set an example during its presidency of the Human Rights Council to exercise leadership in the protection of human rights,” the experts said.

“All European States have much to learn from this process, as the Klimaseniorinnen decision sets a clear precedent for future court cases on the disproportionate impacts of climate change on human rights,” they said.

The experts are in contact with the Government of Switzerland and offered to support the process of complying with the Court’s decision. Switzerland has been in communication with the experts.

*The Experts: Elisa Morgera, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change; Astrid Puentes Riaño, Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment andClaudia Mahler, Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons.

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