They became famous throughout the world when, after waging a historic battle against the Swiss state, they succeeded in obtaining a landmark ruling. In practice, the "Climate Elders" accused the Swiss state of:
- not doing enough to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- failing to adequately protect citizens' health from the effects of climate
After losing in the Swiss courts, they turned to the European Court of Human Rights, and here they were right, The ruling established an international principle that will be indispensable in future climate disputes: Switzerland was found guilty of violating the Charter of Human Rights by failing to do its duty to combat the climate crisis. With this ruling, for the first time an international court recognizes climate protection as an essential component of human rights.
After the ruling, the association "Seniors for the Climate" didn't stop. On the contrary, the fight continued to verify whether the Swiss government was doing what was required in the ruling. And the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, as well as UN observers, expressed their support for the pensioners. by KlimaSeniorinnen : the Swiss government is not doing what is required by the ruling that convicted it.
Another effect of the retirees' activity is the rapid spread of climate-related lawsuits worldwide. In the fall of 2025 alone, there were 3.100 in America and Europe, according to a report compiled using the database of the Sabin Center for Climate Law at Columbia University.
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