BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 6. The effective climate regime should include significant emission reductions, ensure broad participation of states, and have strict control over the fulfillment of commitments, Co-chair of the Climate Justice Council Annette Magnusson (Sweden) said during the international conference “Law & Climate,” in Baku today, Trend reports.
“The main topic of today's meeting is the key requirements under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement. Let's start with the question: what is a key requirement in the international legal regime aimed at combating climate change? From a legal perspective, it can be said that it depends on the context. Three important dimensions can be identified that should be taken into account when defining key requirements.
The first is the level of stringency. How stringent are the requirements for reducing greenhouse gas emissions? Are they consistent with the latest scientific evidence? The second is participation. International agreements must be drafted in such a way that as many nations as possible can join their terms. Climate change is a global problem, and the more countries that join the agreements, the greater the chance of success. Finally, the third is implementation. How is compliance with the terms of the agreements monitored? How effective are they in terms of fulfillment of commitments?” she noted.
When it comes to an effective climate regime, she says, it's important to cut emissions by a mile, get all states on board, and keep a close eye on commitment follow-through.
“All three dimensions are equally important: rigor, participation, and implementation. However, over the past 30 years, while the UN climate regime has evolved significantly, it has rarely achieved equal strength in all three dimensions. It is important to note that the issue of climate change has gained international importance since the late 1980s, although the origins can be traced back earlier, to the 1972 Stockholm Conference,” she emphasized.
Magnusson mentioned that the international community has developed a significant body of law in response to the challenges of climate change, and the process has not been easy.
“Until recently, international law has had only modest success in combating climate change, but in recent years we have seen positive developments. Climate change issues are beginning to encompass other areas of international law, and this is a topic we will also discuss today. The main areas of international climate law include mitigation, adaptation, financial and other support, and international oversight of commitments,” she added.