Tuesday's court ruling to change the definition means nearly 50 governments must now grapple with a new era of climate litigation. Warning to governments: You must protect your citizens from climate change – it's their human right.

That prescient message was embedded in a sweeping ruling by Europe's top human rights court on Tuesday. The court's conclusion? People have a right to security from climate disasters, which is rooted in their right to life, privacy and family.

The European Court of Human Rights’ decision to change the definition means that nearly 50 governments representing nearly 700 million people will now have to contend with a new era of lawsuits from climate-affected communities over alleged inaction. (FEDERICA DI SARIO, politico.eu)