The Swiss Climate Seniors, an association of older women, have won the Council of Europe’s Prize for Democratic Innovation, swissinfo reports. The award was presented at the World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg, which considered 21 initiatives and drew around 1,400 participants from 60 countries.
In April 2024 the women won a groundbreaking case at the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled that Switzerland had violated their rights by not doing enough to protect them from the effects of climate change. It was the first time the court had found a country in breach over climate inaction.
Judges recognised how the campaign combined science, public outreach and the law, with support from lawyers, researchers and Greenpeace Switzerland. The prize celebrates ordinary citizens using democratic and legal tools to push for a safer climate.
Source: swissinfo.ch