The International Court of Justice handed down a significant climate action advisory opinion at the behest of the UN last month. Rex Patrick looks at Australia’s response.
So far, Australia’s approach to the ICJ’s climate advisory has been to try having its carbon cake and eating it too.
Along with 130 other countries, the Australian Government co-sponsored Vanuatu’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution requesting an advisory opinion on nation-states’ climate action obligations. It then proceeded to argue against generalised obligations and against the proposition of generalised legal consequences.
The questions before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) were significant.