International

293 posts

An Update on the Evolving Legal Landscape for Ocean-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal: Key Outcomes of the October 2023 Meeting of the Parties to the London Convention and Protocol

In a blog post last month, I wrote about the growing interest in ocean-based carbon dioxide removal (CDR), and the complex legal issues it raises. Much of the legal complexity surrounding ocean CDR stems from the fact that the ocean is a shared resource in which all countries, both coastal […]

Climate Litigation and Children’s Rights: Unpacking the CRC’s New General Comment

On August 28, 2023, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) published General Comment No. 26 (GC26) on children’s rights and the environment with a special focus on climate change. A general comment, despite non-binding, provides an authoritative interpretation of human rights treaty provisions – in […]

Japanese Courts Admit the Operation of New Coal-Fired Power Plants in Kobe

In March 2023, two important decisions regarding the operation of newly built coal-fired power plants were handed down by courts in Japan. On March 9, 2023, the Japanese Supreme Court refused to hear the first climate change litigation brought before it without specifying substantive reasons. (Citizens’ Committee on the Kobe […]

Beyond troubled waters? Unprecedented cross-border transportation and injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) for offshore storage shows promise

March 8, 2023, marked the start of the demonstration phase of  Project Greensand, shipping carbon dioxide (CO2) from Belgium for storage in a depleted oilfield in the North Sea off the coast of Denmark. This blog post highlights three ways in which this pioneering carbon capture and storage (CCS) operation […]

Climate Docket and the Future in the Case Law of the European Court of Human Rights

Adjudication typically looks backward: it runs after the facts. This is also true for human rights adjudication and the activity of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The ECtHR was built on the idea that individuals who suffered (past tense) or suffer (present tense) violations of the rights and […]

At Davos, A Call For Solutions to Climate Migration and a Culture of Welcome Instead of Fear

  From January 16-20, 2023, leaders in politics, business, civil society, media, and academia gathered in Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting to discuss some of the world’s most pressing issues. This year, I had the honor to participate in two panel discussions on climate migration in […]