气候变化损害的国家责任:虚幻或现实

State Liability for Climate Change: Illusion or Reality

人类活动导致的气候变化是当前全球生态系统和人类生存所面临的最大威胁之一。受历史积累因素的影响,无论各国如何控制、削减温室气体排放,气候变化造成的损害仍不可避免,而气候变化损害的国家责任也日益成为国际社会无法回避的现实问题。作为一种特殊的跨界损害,气候变化损害无论在国际不法行为的认定还是因果关系的确定方面,都对现行国家责任制度提出了挑战。由于诸多障碍的存在,追究气候变化损害的国家责任在目前尚不具备充分的现实可行性。不过,来自国家责任的潜在压力至少有助于敦促各国积极改善温室气体排放政策,并就气候变化损害的救济尽快制定切实有效的全球性解决方案。

Human-induced climate change is one of the most serious threats to global ecosystem and human life. No matter how hard states try to control and reduce GHG emissions, some degree of damage is unavoidable due to past and current GHG emissions. Therefore, state liability for climate change is becoming a practical problem. As a special type of trans-boundary damage, climate change gives a challenge to the existing state liability regime in determining both international wrong act and causation. Due to various obstacles, seeking state liability for climate change is by no means feasible for the time being. However, pressure from potential state liability may at least urge states to improve their GHG emission policies and frame an effective global solution as soon as possible.