Pirate's Cove

This would be the same court that went after Israel and Jews for defending themselves from terrorists, right? Too bad they didn’t say “all Believers have a duty to make their own lives carbon neutral and stop using fossil fuels, especially you rich and/or powerful folks”

Top UN court says treaties compel wealthy nations to curb global warming

The United Nations’ highest court on Wednesday told wealthy countries they must comply with their international commitments to curb pollution or risk having to pay compensation to nations hard hit by climate change.

In an opinion hailed by small island states and environmental groups as a legal stepping stone to make big polluters accountable, the International Court of Justice said countries must address the “urgent and existential threat” of climate change.

“States must cooperate to achieve concrete emission reduction targets,” Judge Yuji Iwasawa said, adding that failure by countries to comply with the “stringent obligations” placed on them by climate treaties was a breach of international law.

The court said countries were also responsible for the actions of companies under their jurisdiction or control.

Failure to rein in fossil fuel production and subsidies could result in “full reparations to injured states in the form of restitution, compensation and satisfaction provided that the general conditions of the law of state responsibility are met.”

Of course, this ruling is, like most, non-binding. Has no force of law. Just yappers yapping.

“I didn’t expect it to be this good,” Vanuatu’s Climate Minister Ralph Regenvanu told reporters after the unanimous opinion by the ICJ, also known as the World Court, was read out.

Vishal Prasad, one of the law students that lobbied the government of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean to bring the case to the ICJ, said: “This advisory opinion is a tool for climate justice. And boy, has the ICJ given us a strong tool to carry on the fight for climate justice.”

Remember, I just blogged this morning about Vanuatu having their day in court for the ICJ’s response, and boy howdy did the Progressives on the court give it to them.

Judge Iwasawa, who presided the panel of 15 judges, said that national climate plans must be of the highest ambition and collectively maintain standards to meet the aims of the 2015 Paris Agreement that include attempting to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit).

Under international law, he said: “The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is essential for the enjoyment of other human rights.”

If that’s the case then why, to repeat myself the gajillionth (a gajillion is slightly more than a shitload) time, do so few Believers change their lives in accordance with their beliefs? The ICJ members will refrain from using fossil fuels, right?

The court’s opinion is non-binding, but it carries legal and political weight and future climate cases would be unable to ignore it, legal experts say.

“This is the start of a new era of climate accountability at a global level,” said Danilo Garrido, legal counsel for Greenpeace.

Gotta love that a bunch of unelected, unaccountable judges can now make almost-law for the world. But, if they think the US is going to listen, then can pound sand. And, if 1st World countries try to go to far they might have a bigger revolt than they have now.