CHR-NI-2016-0001 Statement of Resource Person, Dr Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh
9
injury.35 The benefit of adopting the existing law as it relates to causation however
is that it ensures a balance between the rights of plaintiffs and defendants at the
procedural level, and thereby ensures the credibility of the Act. Moreover, scientific
evidence is increasingly able to make at least statistical links between climate change
and particular types of weather events and other impacts—making it possible to
establish causation between certain activities and harm suffered.
F. Remedies and enforcement: what types of orders for damages or other
remedies might a court make, and how can these orders be enforced?
Any Climate Compensation Act must address the types of orders that the court may
give in climate damages litigation. In this regard, the Model Climate Compensation
Act provides for both the awarding of damages for climate-related harm, along with
other remedies that the court may order. Among the options available for a court is
an order for compensation to be paid to a Climate Compensation Fund established
by the Act—for instance where the order relates to adaptation-related expenses that
have not yet been incurred.
Given that the damage caused by climate change is caused by various actors, the
Model Climate Compensation Act is also concerned with how damages will be
apportioned between multiple possible defendants. Rather than adopting a ‘joint and
several liability’ approach—which may result in one major emitter being held
responsible for the full costs of climate change—it adopts a ‘proportional
contribution’ approach. This means that a company which is responsible for 2% of
GHG emissions should be responsible for 2% of the damages caused by climate
change. Where there is an issue of ‘overlapping responsibilities’ between major
emitters, both can be jointly and severally liable for these emissions (and only such
emissions).
For a Climate Compensation Act to have ‘teeth’, it is necessary that any orders made
under it are enforceable. Assuming that the order is made against a fossil fuel
company, this will likely require international enforcement, i.e. in the country where
the company is based. In many countries around the world, once a judgment for
damages has been obtained in a foreign jurisdiction, it is possible to have it
recognized as a debt and enforced. While there are exceptions (for instance, where
the order is for enforcement for foreign public law or is against public policy), the
aim of the Model Climate Compensation Act would be that such orders made under
it can be enforced in foreign jurisdictions.
III.
Conclusion
International human rights law requires that States’ legislative and policy
frameworks are designed to provide adequate and effective remedies for human
rights violations. In light of the massive human rights consequences of climate
change already experienced in the Philippines, the Philippines should consider
taking legislative measures to ensure access to redress for human rights violations
35
Climate
Change
Act
(Kenya),
No.
11
of
2016,
available
http://kenyalaw.org/lex/actview.xql?actid=No.%2011%20of%202016 accessed 2 December 2018.
at