International

The Strasbourg Court rules that climate inaction goes against human rights

The Strasbourg Court issued a historic ruling on Tuesday in favor of one of the three demands raised for the insufficient action of the States to limit climate change and pointed out that Switzerland had violated the human rights of a group of elderly women.

However, the judges overturned the media lawsuit that six young Portuguese had raised against Portugal, but also against 31 other European countries that they intended to condemn for insufficient policies to mitigate climate change.

The judges dismissed their allegations without examining the merits of the case in the first place because the six plaintiffs skipped a fundamental rule of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), which is that the internal remedies of the country they denounce must be exhausted before taking a case to Strasbourg.

The young people had argued that climate urgency exempted them from that basic legal rule, but the ECHR did not accept that thesis.

In addition, European judges also pointed out that, to denounce other States beyond Portugal and apply a supposed principle of extraterritoriality because their action or inaction may have effects for them, there are other international legal instruments and the ECHR is the competent body to do so.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

They also pointed out that a certain policy cannot be dictated to States about what they would have to do because of the effects that will have for people outside their territory or outside their authority and control.

But beyond this case, which by the form of its approach already raised many doubts about the possibility of it going ahead, the movement against climate change received a note of hope from the Strasbourg Court, with a ruling condemning Switzerland in a lawsuit raised by elderly women from that country.

The president of the ECHR, Síofra O’Leary, pointed out that Switzerland had violated the rights of those women, gathered in the Verein KlimaSeniorinnen association, because “criticism gaps” have been found in Swiss policies against climate change.

Specifically, European judges estimated that Switzerland failed to comply with its obligations to the rights of these elderly women (more than half are over 75 years old) to prevent them from suffering the effects of global warming.

They illustrated it by pointing out that there have been shortcomings in Swiss policy to quantify, by setting a price for carbon or otherwise, the limitation of its greenhouse emissions.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

In the same vein, Switzerland did not respect in the past the objectives it had set itself to reduce those emissions.

International

Air Canada suspends JFK flights amid soaring fuel costs linked to Iran conflict

Air Canada announced on Friday that it will suspend its flights from Montreal and Toronto to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport from June through late October, citing rising jet fuel costs driven by the conflict involving Iran.

“Since the beginning of the conflict with Iran, some routes and less profitable flights have become economically unviable, so we are making adjustments accordingly,” the airline said in a statement.

Despite the suspension, the carrier confirmed it will continue operating 34 daily flights from six Canadian cities to New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.

Air Canada expects to resume its JFK operations after October 25.

Meanwhile, Iran announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz amid a temporary ceasefire in the region. However, jet fuel shortages could persist even if the truce holds.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

Fuel accounts for between 25% and 30% of operating costs for most airlines, and carriers worldwide have responded to the crisis by raising fares and suspending select routes due to safety and profitability concerns.

International

UK braces for potential CO₂ shortage amid Middle East tensions

The government of United Kingdom is preparing contingency measures amid fears of a potential shortage of carbon dioxide (CO₂), which could impact the agri-food industry if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, The Times reported on Thursday.

According to the newspaper, officials assessed this scenario during a recent crisis meeting aimed at evaluating the consequences of a prolonged conflict, triggered on February 28 by joint attacks from United States and Israel against Iran.

Under this scenario, CO₂ supplies—primarily a byproduct of fertilizer production using natural gas—could fall by up to 18%, affecting multiple sectors including agriculture and food production.

The gas is widely used in the slaughter of pigs and poultry, as well as in extending the shelf life of packaged foods. Breweries could also face disruptions due to reduced availability.

“I don’t want to comment on a leak, but now that the information is out there, I hope people feel reassured knowing we are working on it,” said Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, in remarks to Sky News.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

While a drop in CO₂ supply is not expected to cause major shortages in supermarkets, it could limit product variety, The Times noted, citing access to internal government documents.

To mitigate the impact, authorities are considering prioritizing CO₂ supply for critical sectors such as healthcare and civil nuclear energy, where it is used in cooling systems for blood reserves, organs, vaccines, and electricity generation. The government may also request domestic producers to increase output.

Central America

El Salvador and Paraguay approve 2026–2028 cooperation program

The governments of El Salvador and Paraguay approved the 2026–2028 Cooperation Program, which includes six joint development projects, according to Salvadoran Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Adriana Mira.

Mira stated that El Salvador will act as the “main provider of cooperation,” contributing five initiatives focused on road infrastructure, tourism, and local development. She also noted that one of the projects will be led by the Paraguayan side, although no further details were disclosed.

The agreement was reached during the Second Meeting of the Joint Commission on Technical and Scientific Cooperation between both countries.

According to Paraguay’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the First Meeting of the Political Consultation and Bilateral Coordination Mechanism was also held, with the participation of Vice Minister Víctor Verdún.

In an official statement, the Paraguayan government reported that both delegations agreed to identify mechanisms to promote competitiveness, economic growth, and market access. They also committed to signing agreements related to air transport cooperation.