Latest news with #climateaction
Reuters
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
World Court is poised to mark the future course of climate litigation
THE HAGUE, July 23 (Reuters) - The United Nations' highest court will deliver an opinion on Wednesday that is likely to determine the course of future climate action across the world. Known as an advisory opinion, the deliberation of the 15 judges of the International Court of Justice in The Hague is legally non-binding. It nevertheless carries legal and political weight and future climate cases would be unable to ignore it, legal experts say. 'The advisory opinion is probably the most consequential in the history of the court because it clarifies international law obligations to avoid catastrophic harm that would imperil the survival of humankind," said Payam Akhavan, an international law professor. In two weeks of hearings last December at the ICJ, also known as the World Court, Akhavan represented low-lying, small island states that face an existential threat from rising sea levels. In all, over a hundred states and international organisations gave their views on the two questions the U.N. General Assembly had asked the judges to consider. They were: what are countries' obligations under international law to protect the climate from greenhouse gas emissions; and what are the legal consequences for countries that harm the climate system? Wealthy countries of the Global North told the judges that existing climate treaties, including the 2015 Paris Agreement, which are largely non-binding, should be the basis for deciding their responsibilities. Developing nations and small island states argued for stronger measures, in some cases legally binding, to curb emissions and for the biggest emitters of climate-warming greenhouse gases to provide financial aid. In 2015, at the conclusion of U.N. talks in Paris, more than 190 countries committed to pursue efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). The agreement has failed to curb the growth of global greenhouse gas emissions. Late last year, in the most recent "Emissions Gap Report," which takes stock of countries' promises to tackle climate change compared with what is needed, the U.N said that current climate policies will result in global warming of more than 3 C (5.4 F) above pre-industrial levels by 2100. As campaigners seek to hold companies and governments to account, climate‑related litigation has intensified, with nearly 3,000 cases filed across almost 60 countries, according to June figures from London's Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment. So far, the results have been mixed. A German court in May threw out a case between a Peruvian farmer and German energy giant RWE ( opens new tab, but his lawyers and environmentalists said the case, which dragged on for a decade, was a still victory for climate cases that could spur similar lawsuits. Earlier this month, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which holds jurisdiction over 20 Latin American and Caribbean countries, said in another advisory opinion its members must cooperate, opens new tab to tackle climate change. Campaigners say Wednesday's court opinion should be a turning point and that, even if the ruling itself is advisory, it should provide for the determination that U.N. member states have broken the international law they have signed up to uphold. "The court can affirm that climate inaction, especially by major emitters, is not merely a policy failure but a breach of international law," said Fijian Vishal Prasad, one of the law students that lobbied the government of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean to bring the case to the ICJ. Although it is theoretically possible to ignore an ICJ ruling, lawyers say countries are typically reluctant to do so. "This opinion is applying binding international law, which countries have already committed to. National and regional courts will be looking to this opinion as a persuasive authority and this will inform judgments with binding consequences under their own legal systems," Joie Chowdhury, senior attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law, said. The court will start reading out its opinion at 3 p.m. (1300 GMT).
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
PM urged to publish new climate plan with 100 days until legal deadline
PM urged to publish new climate plan with 100 days until legal deadline The Prime Minister is being urged to publish the Government's climate action plan ahead of a legal deadline in 100 days. The plea comes in an open letter co-ordinated by Friends of the Earth and signed by more than 50 businesses, unions and campaign groups. The Government is legally obliged to publish a new climate plan by the end of October after it lost a legal challenge last year over the current carbon budget delivery plan, introduced by then-prime minister Sir Rishi Sunak. Former prime minister Sir Rishi Sunak (Jack Taylor/The Times) The plan, which outlines how the UK will meet its targets to cut planet-heating emissions, was found to be unlawful for reasons including the Government providing too little detail on how it would ensure delivery of it policies or would address any shortfalls. ADVERTISEMENT In the letter, the groups argued a 'bold and fair' plan could bring huge economic opportunities that could help ministers deliver their mission for growth – as well as cheap reliable energy, warm homes, clean air, thriving nature, and widespread public transport. It said: 'Boldness in this plan includes clear steps for delivering policy that ensures the UK meets all of its domestic carbon budgets and international climate commitments. 'Boldness will also enable your government to be the global climate leader that you and your ministers have said it will be. 'Fairness means making sure that everyone benefits from the net zero transition, and that no-one is left behind. Marginalised communities are already disproportionately impacted by climate change. 'Fairness in climate policy is also essential so that the long-standing public mandate for action can be maintained.' ADVERTISEMENT Some of the signatories include the British Medical Association, ClientEarth, Faith in Nature, Greenpeace, RSPB, Refugee Action, the Co-operative Bank, University & Collage Union and the Women's Institute. The PA news agency has contacted the Energy Department for comment.
The Independent
16 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
PM urged to publish new climate plan with 100 days until legal deadline
The Prime Minister is being urged to publish the Government's climate action plan ahead of a legal deadline in 100 days. The plea comes in an open letter co-ordinated by Friends of the Earth and signed by more than 50 businesses, unions and campaign groups. The Government is legally obliged to publish a new climate plan by the end of October after it lost a legal challenge last year over the current carbon budget delivery plan, introduced by then-prime minister Sir Rishi Sunak. The plan, which outlines how the UK will meet its targets to cut planet-heating emissions, was found to be unlawful for reasons including the Government providing too little detail on how it would ensure delivery of it policies or would address any shortfalls. In the letter, the groups argued a 'bold and fair' plan could bring huge economic opportunities that could help ministers deliver their mission for growth – as well as cheap reliable energy, warm homes, clean air, thriving nature, and widespread public transport. It said: 'Boldness in this plan includes clear steps for delivering policy that ensures the UK meets all of its domestic carbon budgets and international climate commitments. 'Boldness will also enable your government to be the global climate leader that you and your ministers have said it will be. ' Fairness means making sure that everyone benefits from the net zero transition, and that no-one is left behind. Marginalised communities are already disproportionately impacted by climate change. 'Fairness in climate policy is also essential so that the long-standing public mandate for action can be maintained.' Some of the signatories include the British Medical Association, ClientEarth, Faith in Nature, Greenpeace, RSPB, Refugee Action, the Co-operative Bank, University & Collage Union and the Women's Institute.
Finextra
21 hours ago
- Business
- Finextra
Ecommpay adds ekko climate action to Hosted Payment Page
Ecommpay, the inclusive global payments platform, is demonstrating its commitment to climate action in a new partnership with sustainability-focused tech business, ekko, as new research1) reveals that over 70% of consumers are more likely to shop with a retailer demonstrating sustainability efforts. 0 The integration of ekko's features into the Ecommpay Hosted Payment Page will empower customers to turn everyday payments into measurable environmental impact. Critically, the process is delivered seamlessly at the checkout, for a frictionless customer experience. The Ecommpay research conducted by IMRG revealed that more than half (59.5%) of consumers always, often or sometimes actively choose to shop with retailers that are environmentally friendly. A further 15.8% would choose a retailer supporting environmental charities. ekko works with a range of organisations across key environmental issues including the oceans, nature, wildlife, birdlife and climate. Its tools, which can be accessed post-purchase, show customers the impact of their transaction in real time with the facility to offset it, with the opportunity to contribute to high-integrity environmental projects. 'There is a clear shift in consumer attitudes to sustainability to which e-commerce businesses and FinTechs want to respond,' explained Miranda McLean, Chief Marketing Officer, Ecommpay. 'Shoppers want the brands they buy from to act responsibly. However, most merchants lack the tools to integrate climate action without adding complexity or friction. 'By embedding ekko into our Hosted Payment Page, we are giving merchants the ability to offer a post-purchase sustainability feature that customers can access without the need for clicks or redirects. Supporting a wide range of climate initiatives, we believe this is a major step in scaling accessible, impactful climate action through e-commerce. A small action by consumers can have a big ripple effect for the environment.' 'Our mission is to make climate action part of the everyday, and payments are one of the most powerful moments to do that,' added Oli Cook, CEO and co-founder of ekko. 'This partnership with Ecommpay brings sustainability to the checkout in a way that's intuitive, measurable, and scalable. It's a huge step forward for the future of responsible commerce.' The Ecommpay Hosted Payment Page enables merchants to increase conversions through a seamless shopping experience, with dynamic display of payment methods, depending on user preferences and geography. The intuitive payment page dynamically modifies the selection of payment options displayed based on transaction history, location, risk factors, and more. It also includes the unique Payouts via Hosted Payment Page solution, delivering an efficient way to process payouts to payment cards as well for deposits made to Apple Pay and Google Pay - a game-changer for businesses where senders don't have the beneficiary's details. The addition of ekko to Ecommpay's Hosted Payment Page provides another important function for building customer loyalty and satisfaction, delivering climate impact at the point where brand trust is strongest: after a successful purchase. 'At Ecommpay, we're focused on helping our merchants grow while adapting to what matters most to their customers,' concluded Miranda McLean. 'This integration with ekko empowers businesses to meet rising sustainability expectations in a way that's seamless and impactful, without compromising on speed, security, or user experience.' Merchants already using Ecommpay's Hosted Payment Page can begin integrating ekko's features from August 2025. No SDKs or major development work is required, just a simple configuration to switch it on.
Bloomberg
21 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
JPMorgan Closes $210 Million Carbon Loan to Draw New Investors
JPMorgan Chase & Co. has helped structure a first-of-its-kind lending facility for a developer of carbon credits that it hopes will lower the cost of capital and attract institutional investors to a market that's struggled to grow amid a series of missteps and corporate apathy on climate action. The US bank, together with a syndicate of smaller lenders, closed a $210 million loan deal that will enable carbon developer Chestnut Carbon to meet its obligations under a 25-year agreement to generate credits from forestry projects in Arkansas and Texas, and deliver them to Microsoft Corp. The loan represents the first time traditional project-finance techniques have been applied to a US carbon-credit project and is an important step to help draw investors to the market, Chestnut said in a statement on Tuesday. The voluntary market for carbon credits, though touted by advocates as an important weapon in the fight against climate change and a critical vehicle for transmitting money from wealthy countries in the northern hemisphere to the global south, remains so small as to be a rounding error in the context of global capital markets. Still, a handful of deep-pocketed corporations are working to help it grow: Microsoft has signed scores of long-term carbon removal contracts, such as the one with Chestnut, while JPMorgan has said it wants to be the ' carbon bank of choice.'
