​Young and old are uniting to lead way on climate change - Lorna Slater

​Something incredible happened a few days ago, but with global events elsewhere dominating the news headlines it would have been easy to miss.

Members of Swiss association Senior Women for Climate Protection react after the announcement of decisions after a hearing of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to decide in three separate cases if states are doing enough in the face of global warming in rulings that could force them to do more

You see in what was widely described as a ‘landmark ruling’ Europe’s highest court ruled that all member nations have an obligation to protect their citizens from the impacts and effects of climate change.

The action was brought by around 2000 Swiss, all members of a group called Senior Women for Climate Protection. They accused their government of not doing enough to protect them from climate change.

The court said these remarkable women, the majority retirees with an average age of 74, were right.

At the same time, we have seen young people, some inspired by the likes of Greta Thunberg and others, also pursue not just legal action, but protests and marches to ensure that their voices are heard and represented too.

Other groups have gotten smart and bought shares in large companies so that they can influence from within, challenge policies and shareholder-led business decisions or launched large scale advertising campaigns against greenwashing.

All, of course, against the counter activities of vested interests, usually fossil fuel companies, conspiring to do the opposite including taking legal action against environmental charities, lobbying governments and others.

The point here though is an important one.

Those women who took on the Swiss government were ordinary people who took a stand, who refused to be silenced, who together demanded their elected representatives paid attention to what they had to say.

We have seen here in Scotland, here on the streets of Edinburgh, climate marchers turn out in their tens of thousands to make their voices heard. I know, because I have joined them and they inspire me every single day.

We need to hear more from ordinary people from all walks of life who will be impacted by not just climate change but the efforts we take to tackle it.

And we need to start early, so it is right that climate lessons are the norm from a young age, it is proper that we work with businesses to develop a just transition and change mindsets and it is vital that we do all of this together.

But the biggest voice, the one that makes change in this country, remains at the ballot box. And since the last general election we have a new generation of voters ready to cast their ballot for the first time, retirees like those Swiss women and everyone in between.

My party, the Scottish Greens, will be standing in as many places as we can so that we do offer a voice to climate at this forthcoming election. Because real change comes from the people first.