R e ch t sa nw ä lt e Gü nt h e r
P artnerschaft
-2-
human or basic rights guarantees. I am also qualified to appear in the
courts of the European Union.
I hold a private legal practice in Hamburg, Germany and I work with
many private clients, public communities as well as non-governmental
organisations, both in Germany and internationally.
I delivered my PhD on Climate Change Damage in International Law
in 2005 and have since continued to give advice to states in the context
of the international climate regime, the UNFCCC, mostly on
adaptation and more recently on the topic of loss and damage.
2)
I have been asked to give a statement in the context of the inquiry
because much of my work centers on climate change law, and – more
recently – human rights aspects of the impacts of climate change.
More precisely, I personally have two cases in court which are directly
related to climate change, with one more being filed at the end of
October. In one of these cases, my client has sued one of the
respondents in the inquiry, the German energy company RWE
(Respondent No. 11).
I can therefore relate for the commission the details of and background
to these cases. I also wish to elaborate on the ongoing case “Urgenda”
in the Netherlands which is distinct but also related and in which the
relevance of Human Rights with respect to the impacts of climate
change has just been confirmed by an Appellate Court in The Hague.
3)
A copy of my current Curriculum Vitae is attached to this statement as
Appendix 1.
My professional expertise is in the area of environmental law, human
rights law, corporate law and the international climate change regime.
4)
I note the established function of human rights commissions including
this one in carrying out investigations to seek “accountability through
truth and acknowledgement”. While we do have parliamentary
investigative bodies, in Germany this is normally the sole