The European Court of Human Rights is holding an entire nation accountable for its tepid action against climate change, issuing a "landmark ruling" on Tuesday that Switzerland's lack of appropriate action violates its citizens' human rights, per the New York Times. "This is huge," University of Stirling environmental law professor Annalisa Savaresi tells the paper, noting that the decision could inspire others to bring their own similar cases before national courts. The AP notes it appears to be the first time an international court has ruled on climate change, and therefore the first ruling putting nations on the hot seat to protect their citizens from climate change's effects. The verdict can't be appealed, per Reuters.
- The plaintiffs: The case before a 17-member panel in Strasbourg, France, was brought by more than 2,000 elderly Swiss women who said their government's failure to mitigate climate change put them more at risk of dying during heat waves brought on by global warming, as older women are more susceptible to heat's effects.