International Trade and Embedded Emissions after KlimaSeniorinnen: The Extraterritoriality of Climate Change Obligations

Geraldo Vidigal (author)

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Title	International Trade and Embedded Emissions after KlimaSeniorinnen
Subtitle	The Extraterritoriality of Climate Change Obligations
Contributor	Geraldo Vidigal (author)
DOI	https://doi.org/10.59704/4118ba28032000cd
Landing page	https://verfassungsblog.de/international-trade-and-embedded-emissions-after-klimaseniorinnen/
License	https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Publisher	Verfassungsblog
Published on	2025-09-09
Long abstract	A key and underrated aspect of the recent triad of climate rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) is that the ECtHR has brought to the fore the role of trade-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in states’ carbon footprints. While most international climate agreements focus on the reduction of domestic GHG emissions, in the Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v. Switzerland Judgment (KlimaSeniorinnen), the ECtHR found ‘attributable’ to Switzerland the GHG emissions taking place abroad, ‘embedded’ into goods (and possibly services) ‘consumed’ in Switzerland. As I will argue, the ruling appears to require Switzerland to adopt a climate-oriented trade policy.
Language	English (Original)

Contributors

Geraldo Vidigal

(author)

University of Amsterdam

A key and underrated aspect of the recent triad of climate rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) is that the ECtHR has brought to the fore the role of trade-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in states’ carbon footprints. While most international climate agreements focus on the reduction of domestic GHG emissions, in the Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v. Switzerland Judgment (KlimaSeniorinnen), the ECtHR found ‘attributable’ to Switzerland the GHG emissions taking place abroad, ‘embedded’ into goods (and possibly services) ‘consumed’ in Switzerland. As I will argue, the ruling appears to require Switzerland to adopt a climate-oriented trade policy.