Giving a speech at the Institute of International and European Affairs in Dublin last week, Lord Carnwath reflected on the recent Extinction Rebellion occupation of Parliament Square, which he overlooked from his room in the Supreme Court.
‘To me as an environmental lawyer and judge, the crucial point is that we have more than political commitments or even general human rights protections,’ he said.
‘We have a strong legal framework, with clear and enforceable precise targets… We need to direct all our efforts to achieving comparable legal regimes across the globe.’ He concluded that ‘the Paris Agreement is far from perfect. But… from a legal point of view it is the best thing we have. We have to make it work.’
Lord Carnwath helped advise on the text of the Global Pact for the Environment presented by French president Emmanuel Macron to the UN General Assembly in 2017.
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