Monthly archive March, 2016

International climate change law in a bottom-up world

1. Introduction When I was first approached to contribute to the present issue of Questions of International Law about one year ago, much was still uncertain about the outcome of the climate change negotiations in Paris in December 2015. Would countries be able to reach agreement in the first place? If so, would the outcome...

The Paris Agreement: What is the standard of conduct for parties?

1. Introduction With the Paris Agreement in place, the question now turns to the normative content and legal quality of the agreement’s provisions. What is it that Parties to the agreement actually have committed to, once it enters into force? In other words, what is the standard of conduct that Parties need to exercise with...

The role of law in a bottom-up international climate governance architecture: early reflections on the Paris Agreement

Introduced by Annalisa Savaresi and Francesco Sindico   On 12 December 2015, Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) adopted a new climate treaty. The Paris Agreement potentially breaks the impasse that for several years affected international climate governance, by opening the way to enhanced universal action to address climate change....