As Polly Hemming points out, this ruling is particularly awkward for Australia. We have been merrily exporting fossil fuels, and skipping along claiming we need to open MOAR (gas is a fossil fuel, we don’t need more of it, there is enough to meet our needs (and yes, even for manufacturing) in the uncontracted stuff gas companies make a motza out of on the spot market and we don’t even get anything back from the gas companies in return)

As Polly explains, the ICJ has said “fossil fuel production, fossil fuel consumption, granting of exploration licences and fossil fuel subsidies may constitute an “internationally wrongful” act. States are also obliged to regulate private actors in the context of climate change.”

Why is that particularly awks for Australia?

Polly:

“Australia argued to the #ICJ that it has no historical responsibility for its emissions. But the ICJ says actually each state’s historic and current emissions contribution and the harm caused can be attributed to them.”