Sri Lanka, along with more than 100 countries and international organizations, has joined a landmark trial at the International Court of Justice in The Hague over who is largely responsible for the climate crisis.
Following up on the written statement and submissions submitted under the Ranil Wickremesinghe government, former Attorney General Parindra Ranasinghe, representing Sri Lanka, described how Sri Lanka has suffered ‘significant harm’ due to greenhouse gas emissions by states.
Citing the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, he argued that states’ responsibility goes beyond that and the 2016 Paris Agreement, the international agreement on climate change.
The case was initially brought by Vanuatu through the UN General Assembly in March 2023, highlighting the dangers facing island nations in particular.
The United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Norway, China, Russia, Germany, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have been identified as the world’s leading polluters due to greenhouse gas emissions.
The 15 judges of the International Court of Justice will assess the obligations of those countries under international law to protect the climate and environment.
The State of Palestine stated at the International Court of Justice that Israel is responsible for climate change through the destruction caused by man-made war in the region.
The former Attorney General of Sri Lanka referred to international conventions on health and the obligation of states to ensure the right to health.
He said that the right to health is linked to the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and thus the right to life.
Ranasinghe noted that states are obliged not to allow their territories to be used knowingly for acts that violate the rights of other states.
He said this is a sovereign general principle of international law, a principle of territorial responsibility.
Referring to a sermon by the Buddha quoted by Sri Lanka’s former International Court of Justice Judge Dr. Chris Weeramanthri, the foemer Attorney General said that this sermon is the first principle of modern environmental law, the principle of stewardship of the earth’s resources.