Legarda Joins Int’l. Experts, Lawyers, Scientists to Bring Climate Issue to the UN General Assembly

Senator Loren Legarda has joined international experts, lawyers and scientists to bring to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) the issue of climate change and how nations are addressing the phenomenon.

Legarda, UN Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation for Asia-Pacific, filed Senate Resolution No. 1030, calling on President Benigno Aquino III and Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario to formally inscribe on the agenda for the 70th Session (2015) of the UNGA, the proposal to refer to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for an Advisory Opinion the question, “Under international law, what are the legal duties of states to protect humankind of the present and future generations from the climate crisis?”

In a privilege speech, Legarda said, “The climate change negotiations under the umbrella of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change are at a standstill, a case of paralysis by analysis. It is in this light that a team of some of the world’s top international environmental lawyers, backed up by a team of scientists, is initiating an unprecedented legal action before the International Court of Justice. It seeks to hold to account all States and their Government duty-bound to take serious and sustained action to address and face the climate crisis.”

“In support of their cause, I have filed Senate Resolution No. 1030. Under this legal procedure, all governments of the world will be asked to submit their comment. This exercise will force them to seriously think about the climate crisis. This move will compel governments to take action to enable the human species to address or face the ever-worsening impacts of the climate crisis,” she stressed.

The Senator further explained that the movement is not just about the opinion of the ICJ as it also requires any person who intends to join the initiative to effect changes in their lifestyles in order to reduce their carbon footprint and impact on natural resources.

“The idea here is to have everyone working together. To carry out individual and personal action, then pursue collective action. We cannot demand from government what we cannot do ourselves. If we call on our government to set targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we must also set our own targets in reducing our personal carbon footprint. If we want to trigger action, change must come within us first,” she said.

“This is a global mobilization of unprecedented proportions, by the youth of this Earth who have the most at stake in what we do, or fail to do, today. We need a revolution, a peaceful turnaround of the mind, armed only with the sword of reason, the firepower of the Law, and the violence of an idea whose time has come,” Legarda concluded.