Protezione dei diritti umani e cambiamento climatico: il contributo della giurisprudenza della Corte europea dei diritti dell’uomo nel caso KlimaSeniorinnen

Climate litigation based on human rights increasingly challenges the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) to reconcile the collective nature of environmental interests with the Convention’s individual-focused framework, which excludes actio popularis. This article examines the KlimaSeniorinnen v. Switzerland judgment as a key milestone in climate justice, highlighting the tensions between Article 34 of the Convention and the collective dimension of climate claims. The Court adopts a dual approach: a restrictive stance toward individual applicants, redefining the concept of “victim” and raising the evidentiary threshold, contrasted with a more open attitude toward associations, potentially weakening the prohibition of actio popularis. The article explores the contradictions and systemic implications of this “variable geometry” jurisprudence, questioning the ECtHR’s ability to ensure access to justice while upholding the Convention’s structural principles. In conclusion, it assesses the ECtHR’s capacity to address the systemic and intergenerational challenges posed by climate change.

Michele Corleto, Protezione dei diritti umani e cambiamento climatico: il contributo della giurisprudenza della Corte europea dei diritti dell’uomo nel caso KlimaSeniorinnen in "CITTADINANZA EUROPEA (LA)" 1/2025, pp 33-60, DOI: 10.3280/CEU2025-001002