24 June 2026
Procedural Rights in Climate Cases Before the ECtHR
This blog post takes the landmark ruling KlimaSeniorinnen as a starting point to examine the role of procedural rights in climate litigation before the European Court of Human Rights. Procedural rights, as we argue, can be understood in a twofold manner: on the one hand, as admissibility criteria structuring access to the Court, and on the other, as substantive guarantees flowing from the Convention itself. Read in this light, KlimaSeniorinnen – alongside Greenpeace Nordic – reveals key developments in the Court’s emerging climate jurisprudence across both dimensions. Continue reading >>
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17 June 2026
Inter-Judicial Dialogue on Climate Change and Human Rights
Climate change is not only an environmental or scientific issue – it is fundamentally a human rights challenge. Across jurisdictions and legal traditions, courts are increasingly being called upon to respond to their complex and far-reaching impacts on our human rights. This symposium brings together reflections from judges, practitioners, and scholars from the three regional human rights systems, based on presentations delivered at a conference held at Central European University in cooperation with the University of Vienna on 17 April 2026. Continue reading >>
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17 February 2026
High Thresholds and Wide Margins
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) issued an inadmissibility declaration in the climate case of Fliegenschnee and Others v. Austria. While an unsuccessful outcome was expected, the decision nevertheless clarifies three aspects of the Court’s climate jurisprudence. Taken together, the case shows that the Court neither demanded more than in previous cases nor reneged on its requirements as laid down in Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v. Switzerland. Continue reading >>
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19 September 2024
A Voice for Nature
The rights of nature movement is gaining momentum all around the world. With the decision of the Landgericht Erfurt on 2 August 2024 the movement seems to also have set foot in European courts. Realizing those rights will ultimately depend on nature being represented before a court. Environmental ombud agencies akin to the Austrian Umweltanwaltschaften may serve as an example. Despite some shortcomings in its Austrian form, this institutionalised representation has the potential to give a firm voice to nature. Continue reading >>
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