My name is Elena, I am a Law graduate with a great interest in environmental conflicts and climate justice. I decided to continue my studies through a PhD as I desired to dive deeper into some topics and discover what working in Academia feels like. The program in Sustainable Development and Climate Change allows me to wander between disciplines to achieve a better understanding of an extremely complex issue such as the climate crisis, but most of all I appreciate belonging to an innovative network of scholars and universities, as we constantly share inputs and feedback. After I spent some time abroad my network even expanded!
I am usually based in Como, at the University of Insubria, Department of Law, Economics, and Cultures, where I carry out a research project on climate change litigation, which is basically what happens when climate change is a matter of dispute in court. There are currently more than two thousand cases around the world, and I focus on those dealing with gender inequality. For instance (long story short!): in 2016 a group of over-64-year-old women in Switzerland sued their government for failing to protect their right to life as the State’s effort to reduce GHG emissions was not ambitious. Indeed, according to some studies, elderly women are more vulnerable to heat waves, which are expected to keep increasing in duration and frequency in Europe in the coming years as an effect of global warming. This group, the “Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz” is based in Zurich, the destination of my research period abroad!
I spent almost five months at the University of Zurich (UZH), from February to June 2023, hosted by the chair of Prof. Dr. Iur. Helen Keller, and kindly supported by Dr. Iur. Corina Heri. UZH hosts the Climate Rights and Remedies Project, initiated by Prof. Dr. Iur. Keller and Dr. Iur. Heri with the aim of researching anthropogenic climate change and the ways in which the law, and specifically Human Rights Law, can respond to it. During my stay, I had the chance to explore the Climate Rights and Remedies litigation database and the work behind it, which is relevant to the part of my project dedicated to the available tools for research in this field. I contributed by summarizing some cases and therefore adding some entries. Moreover, I proposed adding a new label to allow users to filter the cases related to gender inequality, to make the gender and climate change nexus more visible and foster reflections about it. The interviews I took with one of the legal advisors and one of the co-presidents of the KlimaSeniorinnen Association were extremely interesting to verify my research is going in the proper direction.
On top of that, unexpectedly, I had the chance to join the research team on a trip to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg to attend the historical first hearing of a climate case! The team of colleagues at UZH was composed of early career scholars and research and teaching assistants of different nationalities and backgrounds. Unfortunately, having tight schedules and different tasks, we did not have too many chances to collaborate.
Zurich is a vibrant contemporary city surrounded by a wonderful landscape, but living there was no piece of…Swiss chocolate! The cost of living in Switzerland is high, especially if you rely on the Italian PhD scholarship, so I suggest applying for additional funding (such as the Erasmus+ Traineeship scholarship). Also mind that Switzerland is close to Italy in terms of geography but has its own currency, and a specific regime for health insurance, and you may need a residence permit and a new mobile phone plan. The English language is broadly spoken in the city center and in some research teams at the University, but a basic knowledge of German may help in daily life and in making friends.
My favorite place in Zurich became at first sight the library of the Law Faculty, designed by Santiago Calatrava, on six floors, made of wood and full of light (and books, of course!). When I needed a break from pages and screens I walked to the lake, or up on the hills and mountains, to enjoy the view of the Alps. Back to my previous lake in Como, I am now working to collect information about other climate cases to include in my thesis.