The Inaugural Odysseus Lecture of Prof. Corina Heri

No Time to Litigate? The Temporal and Equity Dimensions of Human Rights and Climate Change
 
In the last decade, climate change has increasingly entered the courtroom. First domestic, then international courts have engaged with the climate obligations of States and corporate actors. Cases based on human rights have gained particular traction as this phenomenon spreads around the globe. But assessments of these cases remain divided: litigation seeking mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, in particular, is variably framed as asking for “too much, too soon” or “too little, too late”. In her inaugural lecture, Prof. Corina Heri will set out key dynamics of the current ‘government framework’ model of rights-based climate litigation as it enters its second decade. She will discuss two key future research directions for litigating climate change on the basis of human rights law: its temporal and equity dimensions. Outlining the contours of her future research projects, she will engage with the broader legal, political, institutional and epistemic considerations that shape recognition of climate-related threats to human rights.