HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — A U.N. tribunal on maritime law said Tuesday that countries are legally required to reduce greenhouse gas pollution, a victory for small island nations that are on the front lines of climate change. The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea found that carbon emissions qualify as marine pollution and said countries must take steps to mitigate and adapt to their adverse effects. It was the first ruling to come in three cases in which advisory opinions have been sought from international courts about climate change. Experts say the decision, though not legally binding, could profoundly impact international and domestic law on climate change. “The opinion is a clarification of international legal obligations,” said Joie Chowdhury, a senior attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law. China, Russia and India are among the 169 parties to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, the treaty that underpins the court. The United States, which is the world’s biggest historic emitter of greenhouse gases, is not a party. |
More potential for SinoPolar icebreaker Xuelong 2 receives warm welcome in Hong KongKey projects under construction in Heilongjiang, NE ChinaNetEase Inc renews game partnership with BlizzardHongqimen bridge under construction in GuangdongHighlights of Beijing 2022 Paralymic Torch Relay and Flame Lighting CeremonyTourists visit 23rd Harbin IceXi Encourages Young Researchers to Make Breakthroughs in CuttingXi Congratulates Mirziyoyev on Election as Uzbek PresidentXinhua Headlines: A solidly modernizing China to chart blueprint for year 2022