Resilient LLP (formerly DeMarco Allan LLP)
Tag

United Nations

Browsing

President Trump Directs U.S. Withdrawal From 66 International Organizations, Conventions, and Treaties

No Comments By

Yesterday, President Trump issued a memorandum on “Withdrawing the United States from International Organizations, Conventions, and Treaties that Are Contrary to the Interests of the United States” (the Memorandum). The Memorandum directs all executive departments and agencies to take immediate steps to effectuate the withdrawal of the United States and cease participating in and funding of 35 non-United Nations (UN) organizations and 31 UN entities that “operate contrary to U.S. national interests, security, economic prosperity, or sovereignty.” Most notably, the Memorandum directs the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a move with potentially far-reaching implications for global climate action, climate multilateralism, and international climate science coordination and reporting. This bulletin identifies the key climate, environment, and energy-related organizations listed in the Memorandum and provides an overview of the differing processes and implications of withdrawing the U.S. from the UNFCCC and the soon to be effected withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Non-UN Organizations. The U.S. will withdraw from the IPCC and, among others, the following climate, environment, and energy-related non-UN organizations: 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact; Commission for Environmental Cooperation; Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research; Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals, and Sustainable Development; Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services; International Energy Forum; International Renewable Energy Agency; International Solar Alliance; International Tropical Timber Organization; International Union for Conservation of Nature; Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century; and Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme. UN Organizations. The U.S. will effectively withdraw from the UNFCCC and, among others, the following climate, environment, and energy-related UN organizations by “ceasing participation in or funding to those entities to the extent permitted by law”: Department of Economic and Social Affairs; International Law Commission; International Trade Centre;…

Read More
By

International Court of Justice Releases Landmark Climate Change Opinion

No Comments By

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) today released its unanimous advisory opinion on obligations of States in respect of climate change (the Advisory Opinion). The Advisory Opinion, delivered by Judge Yuji Iwasawa and non-binding, determined that States may face legal consequences under international law for failing to meet their obligations to address climate change and protect the environment. This bulletin briefly summarizes background information, key findings of the Advisory Opinion, and highlights from separate opinions of ICJ judges delivered alongside the Advisory Opinion. Background. On 29 March 2023, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a resolution requesting the ICJ to give an advisory opinion on the following questions: (a) What are the obligations of States under international law to ensure the protection of the climate system and other parts of the environment from anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) for States and for present and future generations? (b) What are the legal consequences under these obligations for States where they, by their acts and omissions, have caused significant harm to the climate system and other parts of the environment, with respect to: (i) States, including, in particular, small island developing States, which due to their geographical circumstances and level of development, are injured or specially affected by or are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change? (ii) Peoples and individuals of the present and future generations affected by the adverse effects of climate change? Key findings. Key findings of the Advisory Opinion in response to question (a) include: International climate change treaties, including the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC), Kyoto Protocol (KP) and the Paris Agreement (PA), set forth binding obligations for States parties to ensure the protection of the climate system and other parts of the environment from anthropogenic GHG emissions. Customary international law sets forth obligations for States to ensure the…

Read More
By

IPCC Releases Report Indicating Global Temperature Rise to Exceed 1.5-2ºC

No Comments By

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) yesterday released the IPCC Working Group 1 report, “Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis” (the Report), part of the Sixth Assessment Report, providing an updated assessment of the physical understanding of the current state of the climate system and climate change. The Report predicts that global temperatures are likely to continue to increase beyond the 1.5-2°C target of the Paris Agreement without widespread and steep global reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This bulletin summarizes the Report’s key findings. The current state of the climate. The Report reiterates that the warming of the atmosphere, oceans, and land are human-caused, with rapid changes being observed in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere, and biosphere. In addition, the Report confirms that anthropogenic climate change is globally affecting weather and climate extremes, with increased heatwaves, heavy precipitation, droughts, and tropical cyclones more readily attributed to human influence. Possible climate futures. According to the Report, under all emissions scenarios, global surface temperatures will continue to increase until mid-century, with temperatures predicted to exceed 1.5-2°C this century without deep reductions of GHGs. As the climate warms, changes in climate systems will become larger, increasing the frequency and intensity of hot extremes, marine heatwaves, heavy precipitation, droughts, intensity of tropical cyclones, and reductions in Arctic sea ice, snow cover, and permafrost. The Report indicates that changes in the ocean, ice sheets, and global sea levels, resulting from past and future GHG emissions, will likely be irreversible for hundreds of years. Climate information for risk assessment and regional adaptation. The Report indicates that all regions are expected to increasingly experience concurrent and multiple changes in climatic impact-drivers amplified at 2°C compared to 1.5°C, with greater increases at even higher global temperatures. The Report also indicates that even “low-likelihood” outcomes such as…

Read More
By