Nine small island states have asked the International Tribunal For the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), to clarify the legal obligations of states in relation to climate change, a precedent which would be highly influential to other courts when ruling on other climate change related cases. In a hearing last week, the group asked the court to decide whether CO2 emissions that were absorbed by the ocean could be considered pollution, and if so, what obligations countries have to prevent it. Commenting on the litigation, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne stated “this is the opening chapter in the struggle to change the conduct of the international community by clarifying the obligation of states to protect the marine environment.” The joint counsel representing the islands, Catherine Amirfar, said the purpose of the litigation was to compel countries to implement substantive measures against climate change.
