State obligations in addressing Climate Change: The interplay between the climate treaty regime and international Human Rights law

Introduction Recent climate events illustrate the growing human impact of climate change.[1] However, the legal framework governing state responsibility remains fragmented. This short piece argues that while climate treaties provide…

How African countries are managing the potentially catastrophic risks of just transition through the investment regime

Introduction      Foreign investment has long been an important policy tool for countries seeking to transform their economies. The international investment regime—comprising treaties and institutions—has supported this objective by creating…

Branching Scenario Tool

Environmental Law and Climate Justice: Case Study on the East African Crude Oil Pipeline Introduction Welcome to the Branching Scenarios Tool “Environmental Law and Climate Justice: Case Study on the…

Environmental Impact Assessment in Rwanda: Legal Framework and Challenges

Introduction Environmental impact assessments are essential processes used to evaluate the potential effects of a proposed project on the environment before implementation. In Africa, their integration into national legislation varies…

International law instruments for greenhouse gas mitigation and sustainable development in Nigeria

Introduction Climate change in Nigeria could, for example, be attributed to the production of fossil fuels in which greenhouse gases (GHGs) are emitted. [1] A decrease in the production of…

COP29: A Pivotal Moment for Africa or Business as Usual?

Introduction From November 11 to 22, 2024, the world’s eyes turned to Baku, Azerbaijan, as it hosted the twenty-ninth Conference of the Parties (COP29) under the UN Framework Convention on…

Justice in the “critical minerals value chain” – moving in tandem for a just transition

Introduction Humanity is at a crossroads, confronted with the effects of climate change that no nation can solve on its own without working with others. It requires all countries to…

From Dubai to Baku: Energy Justice at the COPs and the Question of Fossil Fuel Abandonment

The twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties (COP28), which took place in Dubai from 30 November to 13 December 2023, made a modest yet significant contribution to energy justice by expressing…

Our development is inextricably linked to the past and next generation

1. Introduction Natural resources, including minerals, belong to our common heritage, entrusted to present and future generations to support their respective needs.[1] In this respect, mineral resources have the potential…

The Legal Analysis of Community Rights in Environment Decision-Making in the Federal Republic of Somalia

Introduction People often feel hopeless and powerless to protect the environment, themselves, their families and their individual rights. However, through the creative use of the law, a number of notable successes…