Climate Change

This blog is an article extract, taken from the second issue of A4ID’s Quarterly Newsletter, ‘Law and Development: In Focus’, looking at climate change. 

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Shale gas is being increasingly used as a source of natural gas, used largely across the US, with interest now spreading to the UK, China and other parts of the world.  Formed in the gaps between shale formations, hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is now used to catalyse shale gas production and produce larger quantities for commercial use. 

A4ID recently hosted a discussion on how groups vulnerable to climate change related loss and damage might mitigate such losses by insuring themselves against climate change related harm. We heard from three speakers: Christoph Schwarte of the Legal Response Initiative, Aaron Oxley of Results UK and Dr Swenja Surminski of the LSE.

What is Micro-insurance?

In this presentation, Dr. Swenja Surminski examines the legal and regulatory issues that surround the implementation of microinsurance schemes in the developing world. Without understanding the legal needs of stakeholders and without an adequate system of legal safeguards, the world’s poorest (to whom insurance of any kind might be a new concept) cannot fully benefit from such schemes.

In this presentation, Aaron Oxley considers the structure and operational practice of microfinance organisations, looking too at how the model is financed and at the role of key stakeholders from beneficiaries to NGOs and governments. Setting out some of the challenges for the microinsurance sector, Aaron considers how the biggest challenges for climate change microinsurance are the lack of accurate, timely data on weather patterns and the particular nature of climate change harm, in that it causes gradual rather than sudden harm, is difficult to insure.

In this presentation, Christoph Schwarte reviews how international law provides for compensation for victims of environmental damage, and outlines the objectives of the loss and damage working programme set up under the United Nations Framework on Climate Change to address harm arising from human-induced climate change. Drawing on the work of the working group, Christoph considers how insurance could play a role in supporting populations mitigate climate change risk.

Description:

 Part three of this legal guide describes the link between the CDM and development by reviewing both advantages and criticism, finishing with an overview of the future of the CDM.

Read the full guide to Clean Development Mechanism: CDM and Development.

Description:

 Part two of this three part guide explains in more detail the functioning of the CDM by covering the process of project registration, the different types of CDM projects and their locations.

Read the full guide to Clean Development Mechanism: CDM in Practice.

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Compliance with environmental treaty obligations remains inconsistent and requires more effective enforcement, especially in relation to climate change obligations.  

This legal guide examines the role of the proposed International Court for the Environment in hearing and determining matters relating to international environmental law, and discusses the ways in which the Court would be an independent and technically capable international forum to address issues arising under climate change treaties and conventions. 

Date: 25 September 2012
Time: 6.30pm - 8.00pm
Venue: Weil, Gotshal and Manges, 110 Fetter Lane London EC4A 1AY

A4ID is delighted to welcome three expert speakers to lead a discussion on climate change-related loss and damage: how losses associated with climate change might be compensated and how vulnerable groups can mitigate their loss by insuring themselves against climate change-related harm.