Climate Change
Just Security’s expert authors offer in-depth analysis of the legal, security, diplomatic, and human rights dimensions of climate change. Articles span topics related to international agreements, climate-related displacement, the national security risks of climate change, and climate litigation in international, regional, and domestic courts and tribunals.
Highlights:
Just Security’s Climate Archive
A catalog of articles analyzing the diplomatic, political, legal, security, and humanitarian consequences of the international climate crisis.
Attacks on Nature, Atrocities Against People: The Case for Environmental Harm as a 12th Crime Against Humanity
Addressing the global environmental crisis requires urgent action, and this new treaty offers States an unprecedented opportunity to confront it directly and decisively.
Xi’s Climate Announcement: A Disappointment, Not a Breakthrough
China’s climate announcement — coupled with the U.S. withdrawal — has alarmed many in terms of the viability of the Paris Agreement’s temperature goal.
A Human Rights Approach to Nuclear Regimes: Lessons from the Legacy of Nuclear Testing in the Marshall Islands
Acknowledgement and respect for human rights can encourage States, like the Marshall Islands, to join and actively participate in nuclear regimes.
Collection: Just Security’s Coverage of Trump Administration Executive Actions
Coverage of key developments, including in concise “What Just Happened” expert explainers, legal and policy analysis, and more. Check back frequently for updates.
Washington’s Multilateral Retreat Creates an Opening for State and Local Leaders
U.S. state and local leaders can fill voids left as the Trump administration cuts and even exits multilateral organizations.
158 Articles
America’s Climate Diplomacy Challenge and the Path to Rebuilding Credibility
For international climate diplomacy to succeed, it cannot be tethered to partisan swings in Washington.
Himalayan Water Disputes Awaken the Tensions and Promises of the UN Watercourses Convention
States should promote water security and minimize geopolitical risk by reading the UN Watercourses Convention as a baseline for all nations to follow.
Climate-Vulnerable States Vindicated in the Hague: A First Look at the International Court of Justice’s Climate Advisory Opinion
With this unanimous opinion, the ICJ has taken a clear stand in favor of a coherent and equitable international legal response to climate change.
Inter-American Court of Human Rights Delivers Landmark Opinion on Climate Emergency
The advisory opinion provides a blueprint for policymakers and advocates seeking to drive forward climate action in the Americas.
A Warm Welcome to Mark Nevitt as a Just Security Editorial Board Member!
We are thrilled to welcome distinguished scholar and Emory law professor Mark Nevitt, Commander, JAGC (ret.), as a new member of Just Security's Editorial Board.
COP 30 Must Not Cop Out
Brazil, the Parties, and other stakeholders should ensure the issue of "nationally determined contribution" emission targets lie at the heart of COP 30.
Getting to Yes on the Plastics Agreement: Time for More Plasticity?
A thorough survey of tools that can be used to bridge divides in negotiations on a treaty to end plastic pollution.
Why a Global “Moratorium” on Solar Radiation Management Deployment Should Get a Chilly Reception
A bottom-up norm-setting approach would rectify the concerns of agreeing to a global moratorium on solar radiation management deployment.
Don’t Succumb to Climate Fatalism
Climate policy is taking a hit, but succumbing to this backsliding is not the answer. Instead, there are real security, economic, and political benefits to hitting back.
The New “National Defense Area” at the Southern Border: What You Need to Know
NSPM-4 creates a military area that is twice the size of Washington, D.C. and expands the military’s role in stopping cross-border migration.
Negotiations at Gunpoint: Does U.S. Pressure on Ukraine for a Minerals Deal Amount to Unlawfully Procuring a Treaty by Use of Force?
Coercion leveraged by the U.S. to secure Ukrainian mineral resources could be deemed use of force, rendering any resulting treaty void.
In Potential Russia Sanctions Removal, Diamonds Illustrate the Complexities
The web of factors for the diamond industry in any lifting of sanctions could be instructive for other sectors too.