In March 2024, nine Swiss farmers and five farming interest associations petitioned the Swiss Department of Environment, Transport, Energy, and Communication (DETEC) to increase government action to defend against rising droughts that harm their livelihoods. The following claims were made.
1. The government should be ordered to take every measure capable of reducing the impacts of climate change and chronic drought on Swiss territory. 
2. The Swiss government violated Article 10 of the Swiss Constitution and Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) regarding the right to life.
3. A violation of Article 13 of the Swiss Constitution and Article 8 of the ECHR regarding the right to private life
4. A violation of Article 26 of the Swiss Constitution regarding the right to property
5. A violation of Article 27 of the Swiss Constitution regarding the right to economic liberty
6. A violation of the climate objectives and environmental protection requirements enshrined in domestic legislation to ensure respect for the Paris Agreement 

The petitioners made these claims under the Swiss Federal Administrative Procedure Act, which states the government should refrain from alleged unlawful acts impacting “petitioners’ human and constitutional rights.” 

In September 2024, DETEC rejected the petitioners on standing grounds, citing that they lacked a harm more intense than that experienced by other segments of the population. 

In October 2024, the petitioners appealed the decision on three main grounds: 
1. Ignoring the ECtHR’s ruling in KlimaSeniorinnen, which violates federal law and the binding force of judgments regarding the ECtHR
2. The emphasis on standing regarding the severe economic and health losses facing farmers
3. Violation of fair trial and access to justice entitlements 

The current status of the case is pending before the Swiss Federal Administrative Tribunal. 


Uniterre et al. v. Swiss Department of the Environment (Swiss Farmers Case)

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Uniterre et al. v. Swiss Department of the Environment (Swiss Farmers Case) - appeal

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An aim to achieve a quantifiable outcome within a given time-frame, set by an institution such as a national government.

Policy instruments are techniques or tools used by governing authorities to promote certain policies in order to achieve predetermined goals. Put simply, instruments are how a government tries to achieve its goals, with this taxonomy being focused on national policy instruments.

Risk is the potential for adverse consequences resulting from the dynamic interplay between (climate-related) hazards, exposure, and vulnerability of affected human or ecological systems.

Groups  of people who are adversely affected by climate change or the response to it

A set of principles, processes, and practices that build economic and political power to shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy.

Justice is the ethical and political framework that addresses fairness, including issues of responsibility, rights, and structural inequity.

Renewable energy means all forms of energy produced from renewable sources in a sustainable manner.

Fossil fuel is a generic term for non-renewable energy sources such as coal, fossil gas, and oil (including crude oil, and petroleum products), that can be used for electricity and heat generation. Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons formed from pressurised and heated organic material buried over millions of years.

Molecules in the atmosphere that play a key role in the greenhouse effect by trapping heat radiating from Earth’s surface.

Area of the economy in which actors engage in identical or related activities.

In human systems, the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate change and its effects, in order to moderate harm, increase resilience or exploit beneficial opportunities. In natural systems, the process of adjustment to actual climate change and its effects; human intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate change and its effects.

The management and allocation of funds, assets and investments to meet various objectives

Using laws and the legal system more broadly to protect vulnerable entities

Either money or something of monetary value is transferred between two or more organisations, people or countries.

Actions or measures to adapt terrestrial systems to climate change.

Hot temperature extremes are daily maximum temperatures  that were exceeded on average once in a decade or once in 50 years, and includes heatwaves.

The release of heat-trapping gases, primarily from human activities such as burning fossil fuels, agriculture and industry.

A long-lived, colourless gas, chiefly emitted from fossil fuel combustion, deforestation and cement production.

Actions to reduce emissions in energy generation and supply.

Extreme weather refers to events where a weather variable exceeds (or falls below) a threshold. Meaning it is significantly different from the average or usual weather pattern.

A drought is an extended period of unusually dry weather marked by a significant and sustained lack of precipitation, falling below a specific threshold over a large area for more than a month

Oil is a combustible liquid fossil fuel composed mainly of hydrocarbons, occurring as crude oil and refined into petroleum products such as petrol, diesel and kerosene.

woman and genders outside of the gender binary

The activities of industries that transforms raw materials into finished goods through industrial processes.

The activities of industries involved in the production, distribution, and sale of energy, including electricity, gas, and renewables.

Activities that involve planning, designing and building infrastructure, residential, and commercial structures.

This sector involves activities to move goods and people, alongside the storage of products.

This sector provides communication services, software development, and IT solutions.

Activities that involve the cultivation of crops and raising of livestock for food, fibre, and other products essential for human life and industry.

Slow onset events evolve gradually from incremental changes over many years or from increased frequency or intensity of recurring events. As defined in the Cancun Adaptation Framework (2010), slow onset events include risks and impacts from rising temperatures, desertification, biodiversity loss, land and forest degradation, glacial retreat, ocean acidification, sea level rise, and salinization.

Uniterre et al. v. Swiss Department of the Environment (Swiss Farmers Case) - appeal

Risk

Impacted group

Just transition

Renewable energy

Fossil fuel

Greenhouse gas

Economic sector

Adaptation/resilience

Finance