„Today the Swiss KlimaSeniorinnen, who are a member of EGC, have won a decisive and far-reaching victory in a ruling by the European Court for Human Rights “. For the first time, climate protection has been legally recognised as a human right. We, the European Grandparents for Climate, are overjoyed and congratulate them.
For the first time an international court has ruled on our climate change, which is causing havoc around the planet, in our world. Heatwaves, droughts, floods and forest fires are threatening the daily lives of millions of people. Starvation is looming in the Horn of Africa. The ocean is warming, land ice is melting and increasing the earth’s sea-level, threatening the lives of tens of million people living at the coasts. The lawyers of the European Court of Human Rights understood the signals of change. In the meantime, and at the global level, the United Nations is developing its UN Declaration on Future Generations. Again, a signal of HOPE.
Game changer
“Today we are witnessing an explosion of hope for future generations, and a gigantic wake-up call for all those politicians who are shirking their responsibility to citizens by endlessly dragging out national court cases and not fulfilling their international commitments to the Paris Agreement. It is also a slap on the hands of the courts who have refused to take up such cases.” Co-chairs Jan Stel and Godela von Kirchbach.
We are proud of the 2500 KlimaSeniorinnen who decided to join our organization last year. They have fulfilled a Heraclitan task by raising the vital question of responsibility and achieving this ruling of the European Court of Human Rights. Paraphrasing a well-known quote: It is the national government, stupid!
A moral duty and signal of HOPE
This ruling is a gigantic wake-up call for all politicians and courts. From now on its clear that national governments violate the human rights of their citizens when they formulate inadequate climate policies. From now, we the European Grandparents for Climate and its growing membership will have the moral duty to remind them to this. It is also a wake-up call for national organizations to go to court for their climate rights. Last but not least: “The best opportunity to do something for the climate this year is to vote for our grandchildren’s children during the European Election”. Co-chairs Godela von Kirchbach and Jan Stel.
Joint press release of the Senior Women for Climate Protection Switzerland and Greenpeace Switzerland
Press release of the European Court of Human Rights