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TheCorporateCounsel

TheCorporateCounsel.net

A basis for research and practical guidance focusing on federal securities laws, compliance & corporate governance.

DealLawyers

DealLawyers.com

An educational service that provides practical guidance on legal issues involving public and private mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity – and much more.

CompensationStandards

CompensationStandards.com

The “one stop” resource for information about responsible executive compensation practices & disclosure.

Section16.net

Section16.net

Widely recognized as the premier online research platform providing practical guidance on issues involving Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and all of its related rules.

PracticalESG

PracticalESG.com

Keeping you in-the-know on environmental, social and governance developments

Back in April, we wrote about a groundbreaking decision by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling that protection against climate change is a human right and finding that Switzerland did not have a credible climate plan – therefore, infringing upon that right. The case was titled KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v. Switzerland, inspiring similar cases in other jurisdictions including those brought against Norway. However, the verdict may not be as groundbreaking as previously thought, as the government of Switzerland appears to be largely ignoring the ruling. The Center for International Environmental Law writes:

“Following the ruling, the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, representing all 46 member states, is now tasked with overseeing Switzerland’s implementation of the decision. As part of this process, on October 9, 2024, Switzerland submitted an action plan to the Committee, signaling its intent to take limited steps but falling short of fully executing the Court’s verdict.”

The structure of the ECHR makes enforcement difficult because an entirely new case based on a jurisdiction’s non-compliance must be brought and processed by the court. Additionally, while the ECHR has some ability to issue fines and make Plaintiffs whole, it primarily enforces judgments through political pressure on offending jurisdictions. This lack of strong enforcement mechanisms has led to roughly half of the court’s rulings unenforced since its inception in 1959. This issue is not necessarily confined to the ECHR. Climate litigation is often brought before multinational bodies. Some of those have serious enforcement power based on treaties and international law, but many lack adequate means of enforcement. So even if Plaintiffs win big in climate lawsuits, they can still be left without proper remedies if their home country decides to ignore the authority of the international court. On the other hand, they can be hollow victories.

Our members can learn more about climate and ESG litigation here.

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Photo Credit: mrallen – stock.adobe.com

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The Editor

Zachary Barlow is a licensed attorney. He earned his JD from the University of Mississippi and has a bachelor’s in Public Policy Leadership. He practiced law at a mid-size firm and handled a wide variety of cases. During this time he assisted in overseeing compliance of a public entity and litigated contract disputes, gaining experience both in and outside of the courtroom. Zachary currently assists the PracticalESG.com editorial team by providing research and creating content on a spectrum of ESG… View Profile