Events

Past Event

Expanding Horizons: The ITLOS Advisory Opinion on Climate Change

May 28, 2024
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
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Online

Event Description

This panel will discuss the advisory opinion on climate change and international law issued by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on May 21. The opinion, which was issued in response to a request from the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law, declares that anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are a source of marine pollution under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Having made that declaration, ITLOS then goes on to articulate specific obligations that State Parties to UNCLOS have to prevent, reduce, and control such pollution.

Legal experts will highlight key takeaways from the ITLOS advisory opinion, and discuss its implications for efforts to address climate change. The Tribunal’s pronouncements regarding the interaction of UNCLOS with the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement will be explored, as will the implications of the advisory opinion for domestic, regional, and global efforts to advance climate action. 

Event Information

Free and open to the public; registration required. Please email Kemi Adetayo at [email protected] with any questions. 

Hosted by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School