A Law Professor at the University of Strathclyde is to represent an international organisation authorised to participate in the climate change advisory opinion proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Francesco Sindico, Professor of International Environmental Law, is one of three Counsel acting on behalf of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at the ICJ in The Hague.
The hearing, on Friday 13 December, forms part of legal proceedings in which, for the first time, the ICJ, the United Nations’ highest judicial authority, has taken up the issue of climate change. It could potentially reshape global climate governance and strengthen the legal foundations for urgent climate action.
IUCN is among 12 international organisations, along with 98 states, participating in the proceedings.
The questions to be considered by the Court are:
- what are the obligations of States under international law to ensure the protection of the climate system and other parts of the environment from anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases?
- what are the legal consequences under these obligations for States where they have caused significant harm to the climate system and other parts of the environment?
Professor Sindico said: “The need to clarify state obligations to protect the climate system is more pressing now than ever, and we are honoured to have the opportunity to contribute to such a critical moment in history.
As the oral proceedings are underway, IUCN and other participants will be looking to help chart the path for the future of our planet – so we can move forward with clarity.
Professor Sindico is Co-Chair of the WCEL (World Commission on Environmental Law) Climate Change Law Specialist Group. He is also Director of the award-winning C²LI (Climate Change Legal Initiative), Strathclyde’s first social enterprise spinout company, which works on enhancing legal knowledge and expertise, to drive just and transformational climate action.