by B. Aslı Saraçoğlu Uzunoğlu24 April 2026: Değer Boden published article on Kluwer Arbitration Blog entitled “Climate Damage from Armed Conflict and Emerging Erga Omnes Environmental Obligations”
While international climate discussions continue to focus on the Paris Agreement, COP processes and net-zero pathways, recent wars have already generated millions of tonnes of CO₂ emissions within a very short period of time. The climate cost of armed conflict remains underexamined.
On the other hand, as scientific attribution becomes more sophisticated, and as developments in international humanitarian law, environmental law, and recent jurisprudence continue to evolve, the environmental damage caused by armed conflict is becoming harder to treat as a purely bilateral matter between directly affected states. It increasingly raises questions about broader obligations owed to the international community.
In my recent article, “Climate Damage from Armed Conflict and Emerging Erga Omnes Environmental Obligations,” published on the Kluwer Arbitration Blog, I explore whether we may be witnessing a movement from traditional bilateral responsibility toward forms of collective responsibility grounded in the protection of global environmental interests.
This is not yet settled law. But it is, in my view, a legal development that deserves much closer attention.
The article is available at the link below.
