Per this article, on 12 April 2024, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights issued a landmark judgement against the country of Switzerland for a lack of action to protect human rights against climate change.
The case was brought by a group of older women and their association who alleged that the State was not doing enough to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
The Court agreed and found that Switzerland failed to act in time and in an appropriate and consistent manner to devise, develop and implement relevant legislation and measures to mitigate the effects of climate change.
To put this into context for you, Switzerland sits squarely in the middle of the world as to per-resident carbon emissions. This chart has it at 89 out of 219 countries. It is not the most carbon-free per resident, but it is certainly not the most carbon-producing per resident.
Point is, most of you reading this are living in countries that have higher per-resident carbon emissions than Switzerland. If it can happen to Switzerland, it can happen to your country, your state, your city and your business.
As you run your business, there are a few ways to respond to this:
- It is only happening in extreme situations and to high-profile entities. It will never impact me
- If it does reach down to me, I will address when forced
- The trend is clear and I want my company to be, and be seen as, part of the solution
If you are part of the third group, read this on what you want in a sustainability program, watch this master class, and contact us.