Laying the foundations of climate justice for vulnerable states & peoples: developing a human rights approach for the South Pacific

Abstract

This thesis critically examines the protections available to climate vulnerable Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and their peoples under international law from a climate justice perspective. It explores how key principles, obligations, and mechanisms of international human rights law and state responsibility can be used to secure effective legal remedies for both SIDS governments and individuals. An interdisciplinary approach to the development of a climate justice framework to inform future law and policy making is adopted, applying and building upon the bodies of political theory and international legal scholarship.