What happens after a landmark climate case? This question has repeatedly been posed following the European Court of Human Rights’ climate rulings of 9 April 2024, and specifically its much-discussed KlimaSeniorinnen judgment. Certain initial steps – or rather, missteps – by the domestic authorities in response to the judgment have […]
International
282 posts
In recent years, climate litigation has witnessed a surge in cases across the world. While scholarly interest has predominantly focused on cases from the Global North, attention to litigation originating in the Global South has been lacking, yet crucial in understanding the broader climate litigation landscape. Today, the Sabin Center […]
A highly potent greenhouse gas, methane makes a significant contribution to climate change, but has historically received relatively little attention in climate mitigation discussions. That is now beginning to change. In addition to investigating new ways to control methane emissions, scientists are also researching the possibility of removing methane already […]
The Sabin Center has recently published two reports on the connection between climate change, health impacts, and State obligations under international law. These reports are aimed at providing insights on issues to be analyzed by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its upcoming advisory opinion on climate change, […]
The oceans absorb large quantities of the carbon dioxide emitted by human activities. This “sink” function is so significant that, until 1957, one objection to a causal link between anthropogenic emissions and global warming was that the oceans would absorb most of the excess CO2, thus breaking this link. That […]
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) issued an advisory opinion on April 21, 2024 in response to a request submitted by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law (COSIS). While various aspects of the advisory opinion have already been discussed in […]
Can the new advisory opinion interpreting the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) move us beyond the lethargy of unmet climate change policy needs? The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (the Tribunal, ITLOS) established the gravity of this question by stating that […]
On February 22, 2024, the Tokyo High Court ruled against an appeal in the Yokosuka climate case. The case was filed by 45 residents in Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture in 2019. The residents sought an injunction to block the construction of 2 coal-fired power plants (CFPPs) which had been […]