CHRONOLOGY OF THE PROCEDURE 1-36

I. JURISDICTION AND DISCRETION 37-49

A. Jurisdiction 38-43

B. Discretion 44-49

II. GENERAL CONTEXT AND SCIENTIFIC ASPECTS 50-87

A. Context of the adoption of resolution 77/276 51-71

B. Relevant scientific background 72-87

III. SCOPE AND MEANING OF THE QUESTIONS POSED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 88-111

A. Scope of the General Assembly’s request 93-97

B. Meaning and scope of question (a) 98-100

C. Meaning and scope of question (b) 101-111

1. “Under these obligations” 102-103

2. “Legal consequences” 104-106

3. Legal consequences “for States” and with respect to States that are “specially affected” or “are particularly vulnerable” 107-110

4. Legal consequences with respect to “peoples and individuals” 111

IV. QUESTION (A) PUT TO THE COURT: OBLIGATIONS OF STATES IN RESPECT OF CLIMATE CHANGE 112-404

A. Applicable law 113-173

1. Charter of the United Nations 115

2. Climate change treaties 116-121

3. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 122-124

4. Other environmental treaties 125-130

5. Customary international law 131-142

(a) Duty to prevent significant harm to the environment 132-139

(b) Duty to co-operate for the protection of the environment 140-142

6. International human rights law 143-145

7. Other principles 146-161

(a) Sustainable development 147

(b) Common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities 148-151

(c) Equity 152-154

(d) Intergenerational equity 155-157

(e) Precautionary approach or principle 158

(f) “Polluter pays” principle 159-160

(g) Conclusion 161

8. Question of lex specialis 162-171

9. Conclusion 172-173

B. Obligations of States under the climate change treaty framework 174-270

1. General overview of the climate change treaties 174-186

2. Relationship between the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement 187-195

3. Obligations of States under the UNFCCC 196-218

(a) Mitigation obligations under the UNFCCC 200-208

(b) Adaptation obligations under the UNFCCC 209-213

(c) Obligations of co-operation and assistance under the UNFCC 214-218

4. Obligations of States under the Kyoto Protocol 219-221

5. Obligations of States parties under the Paris Agreement 222-267

(a) General observations 224-229

(b) Mitigation obligations under the Paris Agreement 230-254

(i) Obligation to prepare, communicate and maintain nationally determined contributions 234-236

(ii) Content of nationally determined contributions 237-249

(iii) Implementation of nationally determined contributions and domestic mitigation measures 250-254

(c) Adaptation obligations under the Paris Agreement 255-259

(d) Obligations of co-operation, including financial assistance, technology transfer and capacity-building under the Paris Agreement 260-267

(i) Financial assistance 263-265

(ii) Technology development and transfer and capacity-building 266-267

C. Obligations of States under customary international law relating to climate change 271-315

1. Duty to prevent significant harm to the environment 272-300

(a) Risk of significant harm to the environment, including to the climate system 274-279

(b) Due diligence as the required standard of conduct 280-300

(i) Appropriate measures 281-282

(ii) Scientific and technological information 283-286

(iii) Relevant international rules and standards 287-289

(iv) Different capabilities 290-292

(v) Precautionary approach or principle and respective measures 293-294

(vi) Risk assessment and environmental impact assessment 295-298

(vii) Notification and consultation 299

(viii) Conclusion 300

2. Duty to co-operate 301-308

3. Relationship between obligations arising from treaties and from customary international law relating to climate change 309-315

D. Obligations of States under other environmental treaties 316-335

1. Ozone Layer Convention and Montreal Protocol 319-324

2. Convention on Biological Diversity 325-330

3. United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification 331-334

E. Obligations of States under the law of the sea and related issues 336-368

1. Obligations of States under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 339-354

2. Obligations of States in relation to sea level rise and related issues 355-365

3. Other relevant instruments 366-368

F. Obligations of States under international human rights law 369-404

1. Adverse effects of climate change on the enjoyment of human rights 372-386

2. Right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment 387-393

3. Territorial scope of human rights treaties 394-402

V. QUESTION (B) PUT TO THE COURT: LEGAL CONSEQUENCES ARISING FROM STATES’ ACTS AND OMISSIONS THAT CAUSE SIGNIFICANT HARM TO THE CLIMATE SYSTEM AND OTHER PARTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT 405-456

A. Applicable law 407-420

B. Determination of State responsibility in the climate change context 421-443

1. Questions relating to attribution 425-432

2. Questions relating to causation 433-438

3. Erga omnes character of the underlying obligations 439-443

C. Legal consequences arising from wrongful acts 444-455

1. Duty of performance 446

2. Duty of cessation and guarantees of non-repetition 447-448

3. Duty to make reparation 449-455

(a) Restitution 451

(b) Compensation 452-454

(c) Satisfaction 455

OPERATIVE CLAUSE 457