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The Legal Option: Suing the United States in International Forums for Global Warming Emissions

The Legal Option: Suing the United States in International Forums for Global Warming Emissions

Full Title: The Legal Option: Suing the United States in International Forums for Global Warming Emissions
Author(s): Andrew Strauss
Publisher(s): The Environmental Law Reporter
Publication Date: January 1, 2003
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):

The George W. Bush Administration’s refusal to deal seriously with the problem of global warming, perhaps the  greatest environmental problem of our time, requires that the international community think seriously about alternative  ways of inducing or even compelling the United States to meet its global responsibilities. One strategy being  considered is litigation. There are a variety of forms that global warming litigation could take. Plaintiffs harmed by  global warming could bring actions in U.S. federal courts against the American government. Alternatively, such  plaintiffs could sue key American corporations whose conduct has a disproportionate impact on global warming inside  U.S. or foreign courts. Finally, the United States itself could be called to task before an international tribunal. Last  year, I explored the third possibility for the London-based New Economic Foundation. I took on the project because of  my concern about global warming, but also because of my commitment, as an international law professor, to the  international system. One positive aspect of globalization is that it offers the possibility that law can play an increasing  role in international relations. Because of capital’s desire to operate in a safe and predictable environment, transnational  business interests have successfully promoted legally based regimes such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) in  the economic realm. The present challenge is to build on this trend so that a system of justice can replace power politics  in the management of issues related to the environment, social welfare and global security. I see resorting to the  evolving international dispute resolution system to help deal with the problem of global warming as supporting the  growth and development of this system.

What follows are the conclusions drawn from my work for the New Economics Foundation. It is a preliminary attempt  to “brainstorm” the issues, and it is written for an audience with only a modest background in international law. I do not  attempt to come to definitive conclusions, but rather I suggest avenues that might prove promising and should be  subject to further study. This Article first examines certain international tribunals in which a case against the United  States might be brought, with an emphasis on the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and then looks at the relevant law  which could be applied in such a case.

All statements and/or propositions in discussion prompts are meant exclusively to stimulate discussion and do not represent the views of OurEnergyPolicy.org, its Partners, Topic Directors or Experts, nor of any individual or organization. Comments by and opinions of Expert participants are their own.

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