Climate Justice and the Constitution: Reflections from the Global South

NYUAD Institute

The Climate Crisis has created novel challenges for public policy in the Global South. Developing nations need to discover ways of continuing to grow without undermining the goals of the Paris Agreement, transitioning to green energy at the same time as addressing deep problems of economic growth and social inequality. They also need to mitigate some of the effects of extreme weather events, such as floods or forest fires. In this panel discussion four experienced judges will reflect on the role of the law on this process. Can a substantive conception of environmental rights make a difference? Does the constitution have anything to say about the green transition? Can a Supreme Court assist this process by providing safeguards of fairness and legitimacy? Panel Members Dr Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, Chief Justice of Bangladesh Justice Ananda Bahatarai, Retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal Moderated by Pavlos Eleftheriadis, Program Head of Legal Studies; Professor of Legal Studies, NYUAD