"European court rules human rights violated by climate inaction"

"A group of older Swiss women have won the first ever climate case victory in the European Court of Human Rights.

The women, mostly in their 70s, said that their age and gender made them particularly vulnerable to the effects of heatwaves linked to climate change.

The court said Switzerland's efforts to meet its emission reduction targets had been woefully inadequate.

It is the first time the powerful court has ruled on global warming.

Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg joined activists celebrating at the court in Strasbourg on Tuesday.

'We still can't really believe it. We keep asking our lawyers, 'is that right?' Rosemarie Wydler-Walti, one of the leaders of the Swiss women, told Reuters news agency. 'And they tell us it's the most you could have had. The biggest victory possible.'

'This is only the beginning of climate litigation,' said Ms Thunberg. 'This means that we have to fight even more, since this is only the beginning. Because in a climate emergency, everything is at stake.'

The ruling is binding and can trickle down to influence the law in 46 countries in Europe including the UK.

The Court ruled that Switzerland had 'failed to comply with its duties under the Convention concerning climate change' and that it had violated the right to respect for private and family life.

It also found that 'there had been critical gaps' in the country's policies to tackle climate change including failing to quantify reductions in greenhouse gases..."