Europe’s Top Human Rights Court Finds A Positive Obligation For Governments to Make Effective Climate Policy

On April 26, 2024

EUROPE’S TOP HUMAN RIGHTS COURT FINDS A POSITIVE OBLIGATION FOR GOVERNMENTS TO MAKE EFFECTIVE CLIMATE POLICY

On April 9, 2024, Europe’s top human rights court ruled that Switzerland’s failure to effectively combat climate change violated its citizens’ human rights.[1] In the case Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v. Switzerland, the European Court of Human Rights’ (“ECtHR”) Grand Chamber held that the Swiss government had not met its positive obligation to cut greenhouse gas emissions pursuant to Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (“the Convention”).[2] KilmaSeniorinnen is a group of over 2,000 Swiss women aged 64 and older that argued that they were particularly at risk of dying from heatwaves as a result of government inaction.[3] This is the first time that an international human rights court has upheld a right to climate protection.[4]

COP28 Ends in Pledge to Transition Away from Fossil Fuels

By Journal Editor

On January 20, 2024

In News & Announcements

COP28 Ends in Pledge to Transition Away from Fossil Fuels:

By: Matthew Warren

The 28th annual Conference of the Parties (COP28) of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) concluded in Dubai after running from November 30 to December 12, 2023.[1] While initially drawing criticism for being hosted by the United Arab Emirates’ national oil company president, Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, the conference proved fruitful as the 198 member state parties agreed for the first time to transition away from coal, oil, and natural gas.[2]

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A New High Seas Treaty: What it Could Mean for the Future of the Oceans

By Journal Editor

On January 6, 2024

In News & Announcements

A New High Seas Treaty: What it Could Mean for the Future of the Oceans

By: Mira Rhodes

The ocean makes up about 70% of the earth’s surface.^[1] Because these waters flow outside national boundaries, they have always been unregulated and thus unprotected from human-created environmental threats.^[2] However, in early March of 2023, United Nations (U.N.) member states agreed upon a High Seas Treaty aimed at protecting and conserving biodiversity in international waters.^[3] This treaty is known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) treaty.^[4] The treaty was formally adopted by the U.N. in June of 2023^[5] and signed by the United States on September 20, 2023.^[6]

[NEWS, Sept. 23, 2019] 2019 United Nations Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit in New York.

By Journal Editor

On September 23, 2019

In In the News

“The Climate Emergency is a Race We are Losing, But It is a Race We Can Win.” [1]

Monday Morning, UN Secretary-General António Guterres set the stage for the summit by declaring that “This is not a climate talk summit. We have had enough talk. This is not a climate negotiation summit. You don’t negotiate with nature. This is a climate action summit.” Government, business, and civil society leaders from over 200 countries are meeting today to deliver “new pathways and practical actions to shift global response into higher gear.”[2]

The topics that the summit is covering, include: (1) Increased Ambition and Accelerated Action in meeting Paris commitments (2) Climate Finance (3) Unlocking the Potential of Nature in Climate Action (4) Live, Work, and Move Green (5) Assistance for the Least Developed Countries (6) Small Island Developing Sites (7) Cutting GHG Emissions Now with Cooling and Energy Efficiency (8) A Resilient Future, Making People Safer (9) People Centered Action, and (10) Moving Economy from Grey to Green.[3]

While the Summit leaders encourage active participation from all the attending nations, some of the largest national economies—Australia, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, and the U.S.—will not be given an opportunity to participate in the discussions because of their continuing support for the expansion of coal plants in their nations.[4] Guterres said that by denying some nations from participating the Summit sends a message that “governments are either part of the problem or part of the solution.”[5]

A full list of the announcements and commitments made at the Climate Action Summit can be found at www.un.org/climatechange.

*Featured Image: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/climate-action/

[1] UN Climate Action Summit Team, UN Climate Action Summit 2019 Main Press Release (Sept. 23, 2019), https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/assets/pdf/CAS_main_release.pdf (statement of UN Secretary General António Guterres).

[2] Id.

[3] Id.

[4] Jessica F. Green, The U.N. Climate Summit starts today. Here’s what it can—and can’t—achieve (Sept. 23, 2019), https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/09/23/un-climate-summit-starts-today-heres-what-it-can-cant-achieve/.

[5] Id.

Chicago-Kent Journal of Environmental and Energy Law

Tag: United Nations