The liability of European states for climate change

Abstract

Scientific findings are signalling that worldwide emissions of greenhouse gases must be cut down drastically if we are to prevent dangerous climate change. Yet, to date, these crucial and drastic reductions are not happening anywhere in the world. Can individual European states be held liable for their contributions to this global issue? Dutch attorney Roger Cox thinks they can and wrote the book Revolution Justified to explain why.1 His book provided the impetus for the first climate proceedings against a European member state: the Netherlands. Also he is legal counsel for the plaintiffs in these proceedings and in the midst of helping to set up similar proceedings in Belgium.