16 July 2026
A Human Right to be Fossil Fuel Free?
Australia is a country highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with the weathered, arid continent frequently buffeted by fires, floods, heatwaves and storms. It is also one of the largest exporters globally of fossil fuels, coal and gas. Situated close to Pacific Islands existentially threatened by climate-fuelled rising seas, Australia is a constitutional democracy with an active civil society, an abiding commitment to the rule of international law and this year holds the role of “President of the Negotiations” for the UN climate summit, COP31. These contradictory forces play out in Australia’s domestic climate policy and are at the heart of a new international complaint – labelled the “Hard Truths” case. Continue reading >>
0
24 May 2024
Unlocking UNCLOS
By advancing a more holistic vision of climate-relevant international law—one that seeks to harmonise but also allow for complementary interaction amongst the obligations set under different regimes—the ITLOS advisory opinion offers hope. It holds out the promise of a synergistic international legal response to climate change that better maps to the integrated and interconnected nature the ecosystems at stake and to the multi-pronged regulatory effort that will be needed to safeguard our climate system. Continue reading >>
0



