Swiss seniors' climate win

Happy Sunday!

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♻️ This week’s sustainability news

Court rules human rights violated by climate inaction

What happened: A group of senior women from Switzerland won the first ever climate case in the European Court of Human Rights. The women, aged in their 60s and up, argued their gender and age made them particularly susceptible to heatwaves caused by climate warming. The Court ruled that Switzerland "failed to comply with its duties under the Convention concerning climate change," as they made woeful efforts to reach their emission reduction targets.

Why it happened: The Swiss women are from a group called KlimaSeniorinnen, or Senior Women for Climate Protection. They were unable to leave their homes and suffered health issues during heatwaves in Switzerland. Europe has experienced serious heatwaves in recent years, with over 60,000 people losing their lives as a result of the heatwaves in the summer of 2023. People around the world are turning to the legal system in the face of government inaction to address the climate emergency. The number of climate court cases has doubled since 2017, according to the UN.

Why it’s important: The ruling confirmed the science of climate change and the human rights obligations of governments to do something about it. It’s a binding decision that will influence the law in 46 European countries, including the UK. Failure to adhere to the the climate targets of the Paris Agreement would expose European countries to litigation in national and international courts. Plaintiffs pursuing similar climate litigation in other regions will also point to this ruling to influence legal decisions there. As a reminder of the urgency needed for this kind of litigation to hold governments accountable for their lack of action, it has been confirmed that last month was Earth’s warmest March ever recorded.

Zurich moving away from insuring fossil fuels

What’s happening: Zurich Insurance Group will no longer underwrite new oil and gas projects. They will also be asking companies with the biggest emissions to reduce their carbon footprints.

Why it’s happening: Insurance companies are at the vanguard of commercial exposure to the damage caused by climate change. In Australia for example, insurers have paid out more than $16.8 billion in natural disaster claims from 13 declared catastrophes and 5 significant events since the 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires. These claims result in higher operating and reinsurance costs for the insurers, which are passed onto all of their customers in the form of increased premiums.

Why it’s important: Higher premiums as a result of climate change are pricing some people out of insurance. The higher operating costs are also placing pressure on insurers to keep operating as profitable businesses. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) launched the Net-Zero Insurance Alliance (NZIA) two years ago. Its members are working towards decarbonising their insurance and reinsurance underwriting portfolios, although major insurers including founding members AXA and Allianz withdrew from the alliance due to pressure from Republican politicians in the United States. As acts of self-preservation which also help the planet, hopefully more major insurers follow Zurich’s lead in the coming years.

🌐 Travel to Barcelona

Plan an eco-friendly trip to this vibrant city

The best things to do in Barcelona: See the amazing sights and explore the hidden charms of Spain’s second-largest city, while making a positive impact and avoiding the issues of mass tourism.

😇 People doing great things

Professors make big donations to protect rare animals

Funds were used to help buy a 200-hectare property: Ecology professors Phill Cassey and Hugh Possingham donated $100,000 each for the purchase of the land in south-east South Australia. Along with many smaller donations, the charity Nature Foundation was able to raise $390,000 to secure the land. A management plan is being developed to protect rare animals and approximately 140 different species of birds who inhabit the parcel of land. The need for protection in the area is becoming more urgent as climate change forces species to move south to escape the hot weather.

⭐️ Weekly inspiration

A new era of sustainable Olympic Games

Paris has big targets: The organisers for this year’s Olympics plan to cut emissions by 50% compared to previous Olympic Games in Rio and London.

EU’s power sector sees a 24% drop in carbon emissions

Substantial increase in renewables: Primarily wind and solar production at the expense of coal and gas has caused the emissions to drop since 2022.

Cyclists outnumber motorists in Paris

New cycle paths are full: There are now far more people travelling from the outskirts into the city of Paris on bicycles than in cars.

👌 Sustainable products we love

Stylish vegan footwear

Using recycled and unique materials such as algae: Australian footwear company Betts has an amazing vegan range of footwear called Zeroe. They offer a wide range of both formal and casual shoes for men and women. Sign up to their newsletter to score $10 off your first pair of shoes!

👀 Check it out now: Zeroe

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