Part Ⅰ General Topics 3
1 Introduction 3
1.1 Paradise Lost? 3
1.2 A World of Misery: Doom or Reality? 5
1.3 Comparing Apples and Oranges? 6
1.4 Compelling Reasons to Adopt a Broader View 7
1.5 The Aim of the Book 9
1.6 Mission Impossible from Scratch Onwards? 10
2 Climate Change 11
2.1 Introduction 11
2.2 The Phenomenon Climate Change 11
2.3 The Impact of Climate Change 13
2.4 A Not Undisputed View 14
2.5 Climate Change Allegedly Already Causes Major Harm World-wide 17
2.6 Climate Change Broadly Perceived as a Serious Threat with Potentially Far-Reaching Consequences 19
2.7 An Economic Perspective 21
2.8 A Political Deadlock 22
2.9 Potential Solutions 24
3 The Doom of Unsustainability in Other Fields 27
4 The Financial Crisis and Its Aftermath 31
5 A Remarkable Meeting of Minds 37
5.1 Introduction 37
5.2 The Goal of the Principles 38
5.3 The Core of the Principles 39
5.3.1 Introduction 39
5.3.2 Liability of States for Human Rights Abuses by Enterprises 40
5.3.3 The Obligations Vested on and Liability of Enterprises for Human Rights Violations 41
5.3.4 Extension of Enterprises’ Obligations 42
5.3.5 Due Diligence 42
5.4 A Bold and Useful Step Forward, but Fraught with Risk 43
5.5 The ‘Reception’ of the Principles 44
5.6 Conclusion 45
Part Ⅱ Climate Change as Pars Pro Toto 49
6 Introduction: Could the Law Serve as Crowbar to Come to Grips with Climate Change? 49
7 The Vital Role of the Judiciary 51
8 Enforceable Obligations towards Future Generations? 55
8.1 Introduction 55
8.2 Legal Aspects 56
8.3 Which Obligations Do We Have towards Future Generations? 59
9 Precautionary Principle 61
9.1 Introduction 61
9.2 What Is the Precautionary Principle about? 61
9.3 Precautionary Principle Embedded in the Law 62
9.4 But the Assumptions May Turn Out to Be Mistaken 64
9.5 Conclusion 65
10 Legal Bases for Litigation （in Case Need Would Be） 67
10.1 Introduction 67
10.2 International Law 68
10.3 Human Rights 71
10.3.1 Introduction 71
10.3.2 Climate Change as a Human Rights Issue 72
10.3.3 Unorthodox Exercises 75
10.3.4 The Widest Possible Spectre 80
10.3.5 Making Things More Concrete 82
10.3.6 The Role of Enterprises 82
10.3.7 Conclusion 85
10.4 National Tort Law 86
10.4.1 Introduction 87
10.4.2 The Hard Core of Tort Law 88
10.4.3 Prima Facie Arguably not so Obvious Analogies 90
10.4.4 Conclusion 92
10.5 Historical Contributions （the Temporal Dimension） 92
10.5.1 Introduction 92
10.5.2 How to Deal with the Wrongfulness of Emissions in the （Distant） Past? 93
10.6 Last ‘Drop’ 97
11 The Law in Ever Growing Imbalance 99
11.1 Introduction 99
11.2 Potential Arguments to Butter the Defendant’s Case 99
11.3 Unrelated, but Still Important Analogies 101
11.4 Conclusion 103
12 How Far Should GHG-Emissions Be Reduced? 107
12.1 Introduction 107
12.2 The Meaning of ‘Developed’ Country 109
12.3 Obligations of States 110
12.3.1 The Common but Differentiated Responsibilities as a Starting Point? 110
12.3.2 Preliminary Questions 111
12.3.2.1 Introduction 111
12.3.2.2 What Can Be Done? 112
12.3.3 Making Obligations of Developed Countries More Concrete: A First Try 114
12.3.4 The Concept of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities 117
12.3.5 Various Submissions by Others to Attach a Concrete Meaning to CDR 121
12.3.6 Obligations per Capita or per Country? 127
12.3.7 Relevant Criteria 129
12.3.8 A New Try to Develop Criteria 133
12.3.8.1 Starting Points 133
12.3.8.2 A Need for Reconsideration 134
12.3.8.3 New Submissions 135
12.3.9 Who Should Assume the Obligations of the ‘Unwilling’? 138
12.3.9.1 Introduction 138
12.3.9.2 Legal Obligations to Step in Where Others Fail? 139
12.3.9.3 Conclusion 141
12.3.10 Obligations of Enterprises 142
12.3.10.1 Introduction 142
12.3.10.2 International Law and Enterprises 142
12.3.10.3 The Obligations of Enterprises 143
12.3.10.4 Obligations of Private Persons 150
13 Liability of Others 151
13.1 D＆O-Liability 151
13.2 Various Targets 153
13.2.1 Introduction 153
13.2.2 Insurance Industry 156
13.2.3 Banking Industry 159
13.2.4 Pension Funds 160
13.2.5 Supervisory Institutions 160
13.2.6 Conclusion 160
14 Defenses 163
14.1 Introduction 163
14.2 The Political Argument 163
14.3 Difficulties to Sort Out the Necessary Facts 165
14.4 Compliance with Permits, National Law or the Targets Set in Interna-tional Agreements 166
14.4.1 No Agreement Can Be Reached, so It Is a Lawless Realm 166
14.4.2 Not Beyond the Targets of International Agreements? 167
14.4.3 Compliance with National Law 170
14.4.4 Compliance with Permits 170
14.4.5 The Alleged Lack of Clarity about the Law as It Stands 171
14.4.6 Waiting for Advances in Technology? 172
15 Causation 175
15.1 Introduction 175
15.2 The Adverse Effects Would Have Occurred Anyway 175
15.3 Minimal Causation 176
15.4 No Causal Link between the Damage in Point and the Defendant’s GHG-Emissions 178
15.5 Opening the Floodgates? Ways to Keep Liability within Reasonable Limits 178
16 Remedies 181
16.1 Introduction 181
16.2 Damages 181
16.2.1 Introduction 181
16.2.2 Arguments for Compensation 182
16.2.3 The Dilemma of Crushing Liability? 184
16.2.4 A Choice between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea 187
16.2.5 How to Keep Liability within Bearable Limits 189
16.2.6 Conclusion 190
16.3 Adaptation Cost 191
16.4 Mitigation Cost 193
16.5 Injunctive Relief 194
16.5.1 Introduction 194
16.5.2 Requirements for Injunctive Relief 195
16.5.2.1 Introduction 195
16.5.2.2 The Requirements for Injunctions 195
16.5.2.3 Clean Hands 196
16.5.2.4 Mission Impossible? 196
16.6 Declaratory Relief 198
17 Criminal Responses 201
18 Other Strategies 207
19 The Importance of Collecting the ‘Right’ Information 213
20 A Search for the Right Allies 217
Part Ⅲ Lessons for Other Looming Crises 225
21 How to Deal with Financial Crises, （Un）sustainable Development and the Eradication of Poverty? 225
21.1 Introduction 225
21.2 Financial Crises 225
21.2.1 The Causes of the Financial Crises 225
21.2.2 An Information Gap 226
21.2.3 Legal Obligations 227
21.2.4 The Way Ahead: Ex Ante Measures 228
21.2.5 The New Way Ahead: Ex Post Steps 231
21.2.6 A Search for Allies 232
21.2.7 Conclusion 232
21.3 Sustainable Development 233
21.3.1 Introduction 233
21.3.2 Attaching Legal Significance to Pledges 234
21.3.3 Emphasis Should Be Put on Prevention 234
21.3.4 Making Obligations more Concrete 235
21.3.5 Other Issues 237
21.4 Eradication of Poverry 237
Part Ⅳ Law Reform and Epilogue 241
22 Law Reform Desirable 241
23 Epilogue 243
Bibliography 247
Table of Cases 271