Climate Conflicts and International Environmental Law

  • Silke Marie Christiansen
Chapter
First Online:

Abstract

This chapter examines the applicability of international environmental law to climate conflicts. In this part of the book, the analysis will turn to the direct environmental damage caused by climate change.

Focus is put on the analysis of the climate regime, i.e. the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the associated Kyoto Protocol. However, other rules, standards, and principles like the Precautionary Principle or the Obligation to Prevent Transboundary Harm are also scrutinized. The contrarian views in how far primary obligations of international law are deducible from international environmental law are analyzed as well.

The analysis here is dominated by interpreting the international regulations with respect to their wording and intent. The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, which provides rules regarding the interpretation of treaties, is used during the analysis. In a separate section, this chapter will turn to the concept of ‘unjust enrichment’ deriving from civil law. It is questioned if this concept may be applicable to climate change damages. To underline the relevance of this chapter, the analysis references to examples of the current situation in Bangladesh.

Keywords

Kyoto Protocol Unjust Enrichment Primary Rule Climate Change Damage Transboundary Harm 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016

Authors and Affiliations

  • Silke Marie Christiansen
    • 1
  1. 1.Faculty of Business and EconomicsLeuphana University LüneburgLüneburgGermany

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