As part of the Ö1 Science Arena on 17 June 2025, Michael Lysander Fremuth, scientific director of our institute as well as professor of fundamental and human rights at the University of Vienna, and lawyer Michaela Krömer discussed the role courts can play in enforcing climate protection measures, moderated by Birgit Dalheimer.

Key questions included: Which legal means are open to those affected to take action for climate protection? To what extent can political measures be influenced by court rulings – and do courts themselves take on political roles in the process? Furthermore, the question of whether human rights can be used as an effective lever for more ambitious climate policy was explored.

Reviewing, Fremuth summarized his view as follows: “Human rights are a suitable instrument for strategic litigation on climate protection – but this assigns judges a special responsibility. They monitor the legislature, but should not take its place. Rather, they must pass the ball back to the legislature, because effective climate protection requires – at least in a democracy – a broad social consensus based on a thorough and possibly controversial debate regarding appropriate measures.”

The Ö1 programme Science Arena will look back on the most poignant moments of the event on Monday, 7 July 2025, at 4:05 p.m. The broadcast will then be available to listen to for 30 days via this link .