The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that Switzerland's government had not done enough to combat climate change.

The court sided with a group of elderly women who said that their age and gender made them particularly vulnerable to the effects of heatwaves as a result of global warming.

The Swiss women, called KlimaSeniorinnen or Senior Women for Climate Protection, argued that they cannot leave their homes during heatwaves in the country, out of fears their health will suffer.

This is the first time the court has ruled on climate change.

European human rights court makes unprecedented ruling as it blames Switzerland for climate change, siding with a group of elderly womenReuters

The women said that their age and gender made them particularly vulnerable to the effects of heatwaves

The court said the country's efforts to reduce emissions had been inadequate.

The European Union, which does not include Switzerland, currently has a target to be climate-neutral by 2050.

Whilst judgments from the court are not legally binding, they set a legal precedent against which future lawsuits will be judged.

Court President Siofra O'Leary said the Swiss government had failed to install sufficient policies to tackle climate change, which violated the human right to private and family life.

This is the first time the court has ruled on climate change

"This included a failure to quantify, through a carbon budget or otherwise, national greenhouse gas emissions limitations," O'Leary told the courtroom.

Global civic movement Avaaz said the court's ruling had turned a new leaf in climate law.

"The Swiss ruling sets a crucial legally binding precedent serving as a blueprint for how to successfully sue your own government over climate failures," said Ruth Delbaere, legal campaigns director at Avaaz.