Desperate for change, island nations explore suing polluters

Facing an increasing amount of extreme weather and ever-rising sea levels, two island nations raised the possibility of claiming damages from major polluting countries through judicial means.

The Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda and the Pacific nation of Tuvalu used the stage of the COP26 to announce they have registered a new commission to explore this move with the United Nations.

Kalim Shah, an expert in small island sustainable development and assistant professor of public policy at the University of Delaware, says that this push falls in line with four urgent climate change priorities: 

• More access to climate finance by island countries.
• International agreement on loss and damage principles.
• Agreed metrics on return on investments in climate adaptation and resilience efforts to show that funds are making and difference.
• Assistance to introduce new technologies and innovations including data driven ones to help island policy makers in urgent decisions.

Shah can discuss sustainable development targets in island countries globally, including energy, environment and climate policies.