The Influence of the Paris Agreement on Climate Litigation:Causation, Corporate Governance and Catalyst (Part II)

Brian J Preston

Abstract：The Paris Agreement is the first universal climate change agreement requiring all parties to communicate ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets to achieve a longterm global temperature goal. The Paris Agreement is a game-changer at the international level, but has it been at the national (and sub-national) level? What has been the influence of the Paris Agreement on litigation to improve mitigation of and adaptation to climate change? This question is addressed in two articles. Both articles seek to look at a familiar topic—the Paris Agreement and climate litigation—in new and fresh ways. This second article examines how the Paris Agreement is influencing fact-finding in administrative and judicial decision-making, transforming corporate governance to be better attuned to climate risk and contributing to a ripple effect in climate litigation. The article first considers how the Paris Agreement has altered the factual considerations of climate change by demonstrating global agreement on the causal link between anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and the catastrophic consequences of climate change. Secondly, it illustrates how the Paris Agreement is affecting legal responsibilities by focusing on the influence of the Paris Agreement on corporate directors’ duties.Thirdly, it notes the ripple effect of climate litigation, contributing to the continued development of climate law.

《巴黎协定》对气候诉讼的影响：因果关系、公司治理和催化剂（第二部分）

Brian J Preston

摘要：《巴黎协定》是第一个全球性的气候变化协议，要求各方就温室气体减排目标进行沟通，以实现长期的全球温度目标。《巴黎协定》在国际层面上改变了游戏规则，但它在国家(和地方)层面上改变了吗?《巴黎协定》对加强减缓和适应气候变化的诉讼有何影响?这个问题将在两篇文章中讨论。这两篇文章都试图以全新的方式审视一个熟悉的话题——《巴黎协定》和气候诉讼。第二篇文章探讨了《巴黎协定》如何影响行政和司法决策中的事实调查，如何改变公司治理以更好地适应气候风险，以及如何促成气候诉讼中的连锁反应。文章首先考虑了《巴黎协定》是如何通过证明人类温室气体排放与气候变化的灾难性后果之间的因果关系的全球协议，改变了对气候变化的事实考虑。其次，以《巴黎协定》对公司董事职责的影响为重点，说明《巴黎协定》对法律责任的影响。第三，它注意到气候诉讼的连锁反应，有助于气候法的持续发展。

文章来源: Preston, B. J. (2021). The influence of the Paris agreement on climate litigation: causation, corporate governance and catalyst (part II). Journal of Environmental Law, 33(2), 227-256.