Cordelia Bähr
Cordelia Bähr primarily works in the fields of environmental, climate, and human rights law, both in an advisory and litigation capacity.
Contact
Phone: +41 44 533 46 00
Fax: +41 44 533 46 09
E-mail: baehr@ettwein.ch
bähr ettwein rechtsanwälte
P.O. Box 46
CH-8042 Zurich
Professional career:
- Partner at bähr ettwein attorneys-at-law (since 2016)
- Guest lecturer in environmental law and enforcement at University of Applied Sciences of North West Switzerland (2017–2019)
- Attorney-at-law at ettlersuter attorneys-at-law (2015–2016)
- Environmental lawyer at Federal Office for the Environment, FOEN (2013–2015)
- Academic Assistant in Public International and Constitutional Law (2013–2015)
- Associate at Bratschi, Wiederkehr & Buob (2010–2012)
- Clerk at the Zurich District Court (2008–2009)
- Junior Associate at Bratschi, Wiederkehr & Buob (2007–2008)
- Internship at Youth Attorney’s Office (2007)
Education:
- Master of Laws (LL.M.) Public Law, London School of Economics and Political Science (2013)
- Bar exam, Supreme Court of the Canton of Zurich (2010)
- Licentiate degree, University of Zurich (2006)
Areas of expertise:
- Climate Law (Application of existing law to climate change and its consequences)
- Environmental Law
- Fundamental Rights, European Convention on Human Rights, International law
- Constitutional and Administrative Law
- Spatial Planning and Construction Law
- State Liability Law
- Agricultural Law
- Energy Law
- Media Law
- Associations and Foundations
Memberships:
- Board Member, Association for Environmental Law (VUR)
- Co-founder and Editor of the information platform Climate & Law
- Climate Change Litigation Initiative, Swiss National Rapporteur
- Swiss Bar Association
- Zurich Bar Association
- Expert Groups for Administrative Law (ZAV) and Environmental Law
Publications:
- KlimaSeniorinnen-Urteil: Menschenrechtliche Pflicht der Schweiz, ihren fairen Anteil am global verbleibenden CO2-Budget zu quantifizieren, URP 2025 S. 114–126
- Ban on electric heating systems compatible with the guarantee of property ownership, commentary on BGE 149 I 49, in: dRSK, August 29, 2023
- Commentary on Art. 28a WaG (Measures addressing climate change), in: Abt/Norer/Wild/Wisard (eds.), Commentary on the Forest Act, Zurich 2022
- Achieving emission reduction targets through measures taken abroad, blog post on Climate & Law, September 5, 2021
- Expert opinion on forest conservation in Switzerland compared to selected European countries, June 18, 2021
- Expert opinion on the parliamentary initiative “Reducing the risk in the use of plant protection products”, November 18, 2020
- Climate Change and Individuals’ Rights in Switzerland, in: Sindico / Mbengue (eds.), Comparative Climate Change Litigation: Beyond the Usual Suspects, Springer 2021 (with Ursula Brunner)
- Commentary on various articles of the CO₂ Act in the version according to Annex No. II 2 of the Energy Act of September 30, 2016, in force since January 1, 2018, in: Kratz / Merker / Tami / Rechsteiner (eds.), Commentary on Energy Law, Volume II, Editions Weblaw 2020 (with Adrian Ettwein)
- Nine Years of Watercourse Area – A Case Law Report, UPR 2020 pp. 1–50; French translation in URP 2020 pp. 599–653
- Presentation “Overview of Jurisprudence – Designation and Use of Watercourse Areas” at the VUR conference on Watercourse Areas, November 20, 2019
- Expert opinion on the Drinking Water Initiative, May 4, 2019 (with Mirina Grosz)
- “KlimaSeniorinnen: Lessons from the Swiss senior women’s case for future climate litigation“, Journal of Human Rights and the Environment, forthcoming (with Ursula Brunner, Kristin Casper and Sandra Lustig)
- Review about “Umweltschutz durch die Europäische Menschenrechtskonvention” by Katharina Braig, Diss. Helbling Lichtenhang Verlag, Basel 2013, URP 2018 S. 98–101
- Comment on Entscheid CO2-Emissionen; Erhöhung der CO2-Abgabe auf Fr. 60.– pro Tonne CO2, URP 2017 S. 676–680
- “Is the Swiss Climate Target Constitutional?” AJP 2016, S. 1219–1228 (with Ursula Brunner)
- Article 7 CO2 Act (Bescheinigungen für Emissionsverminderungen im Inland; with Andrea Burkhardt), in: Kratz / Merker / Tami / Rechsteiner / Föhse (Hrsg.), Kommentar zum Energierecht, Editions Weblaw 2016
- Article 37 CO2 Act (Zuweisung des Ertrags aus der Sanktion), in: Kratz / Merker / Tami / Rechsteiner / Föhse (Hrsg.), Kommentar zum Energierecht, Editions Weblaw 2016
- Article 38 CO2 Act (Berechnung der Erträge), in: Kratz / Merker / Tami / Rechsteiner / Föhse (Hrsg.), Kommentar zum Energierecht, Editions Weblaw 2016
- Breaking the taboo: The case for a greenhouse gas tax on meat consumption, Cambridge Core blog, 10 August 2015
- “Greenhouse Gas Taxes on Meat Products: A Legal Perspective”, Transnational Environmental Law 4(01), April 2015, S. 153–179; additionally published in Zeitschrift für Schweizerisches und Internationales Steuerrecht zsis) 6/2015, S. 7–24
- 26 contributions in the periodical ius.focus, section „Commercial and Business Law“, preponderantly in the areas trademark law and unfair competition (2010–2012)
- Content-related co-operation on the publications „Strassenrecht“ by Isabelle Häner, in: Schweizerisches Bundesverwaltungsrecht, Band IV, Verkehrsrecht, Georg Müller (Hrsg.), Basel 2008, S. 171–250 and “Vollzugsmängel verhindern und nötigenfalls korrigieren” by Ursula Brunner, in URP 2015 611−655
Recognition:
Cordelia Bähr was named to the “Nature’s 10” list for her role as lead lawyer in the case of the KlimaSeniorinnen against Switzerland — as one of ten people who helped shape science in 2024.
She was also included in TIME’s TIME100 list of the most influential people of 2025. Katharine Hayhoe in the tribute: “With science, law, and relentless determination, Bähr didn’t just fight for justice—she redefined it.”
Media Coverage:
- A selection of media coverage can be found under News.
Languages:
- German
- English