Greenpeace response to Committee of Ministers’ decision on KlimaSeniorinnen v Switzerland climate case

Today, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe announced that Switzerland is not complying with the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the landmark case of the KlimaSeniorinnen. The Committee sided with the KlimaSeniorinnen that Switzerland is not doing enough to align its policy with a maximum global warming limit of 1.5°C, in another victory for current and future generations.

Rosmarie Wydler-Wälti, Co-President of KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz said: “The Swiss Federal Council is not getting away with its arguments at the Committee of Ministers. Switzerland must improve its climate policy to remedy the violation of our human rights. We call on the Federal Council and Parliament to take global warming seriously and to finally take decisive action against the climate crisis.”

As the first intergovernmental body to oversee a State’s compliance with a legal decision on climate change, the Committee of Minister’s decision regarding Switzerland’s failure to implement the judgment of the KlimaSeniorinnen marks an important moment for the future of climate litigation and policy: Switzerland’s response is inadequate, and the fight for justice is not over. Driven by the relentless efforts of the KlimaSeniorinnen and civil society actors, today’s decision by the Committee sends a clear message: States have a duty to protect people’s human rights with strong climate policy. Now, Switzerland must return to the drawing board and produce a real plan – one that delivers the emissions reductions and human rights protections the Court demanded. The battle to turn the landmark legal victory into lasting political change continues, with the Committee examining the case again in September 2025. 

ENDS

Notes:

The submissions to the Committee of Ministers

• Rule 9.2 Submission by KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz with Annex I CLN-Analysis (forthcoming), Annex II Switzerland Carbon Budget, Annex III CO2 emissions projections Switzerland 2023-2050
• Rule 9.2  Submission by the NGO-Coalition
• Rule 9.2  Submission by the Swiss National Human Rights Institution

- Swiss National Action Report
- More documents relating to the judgment can be found at https://en.klimaseniorinnen.ch/