From Baku to The Hague: The ICJ's Advisory Opinion on Climate Change

• Florence School of Transnational Governance
• EUI Climate Workshop
• STG Climate

Seminar as part of the EUI Climate Workshop

Barely a week after the 2024 Conference of the Parties climate meeting in Baku closed with the adoption of a new collective quantified goal on climate finance, the international community gathered yet again to discuss the existential threat posed by climate change – albeit in a completely different format. From 2 to 13 December 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) held oral hearings at the Peace Palace in The Hague to inform its pending advisory opinion on the rights and obligations of states in respect of climate change. A record number of states and international organizations participated.

This workshop will address the background of the ICJ's advisory opinion, reflect on takeaways from the hearings, and discuss some of the ripple effects the advisory opinion might cause within the broader climate governance landscape. A particular focus will lie on the interplay between the legal process of the advisory opinion and the political negotiations under the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.

Chair:

• Laura Iozzelli, Research Fellow, Florence School of Transnational Governance, EUI

Speaker:

• Daniel Bertram, Researcher, European University Institute

Discussant:

• Josephine Van Zeben, Professor, Florence School of Transnational Governance, EUI