Road to COP31: Australian and Pacific Perspectives in the Light of the ICJ Advisory Opinion on Climate Change
An E-L-C Hub round table connected recent developments in international climate law with the role of Australia and Pacific island states in climate diplomacy and climate justice.
The round table was held at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Law on 1 June 2026. It was organised by the Jean Monnet Chair in European Environmental and Climate Change Law, in cooperation with the Embassy of Australia in the Republic of Serbia and the OSCE Mission to Serbia, within the Environmental Law Clinic Hub (E-L-C Hub).
The event was opened by Prof. Dr Mirjana Drenovak-Ivanović, Jean Monnet Chair holder, H.E. Peter George Truswell, Ambassador of Australia to the Republic of Serbia, and Tatjana Đurković, Environmental Affairs Adviser at the OSCE Mission to Serbia. The keynote speaker was Prof. Dr George Carter of the Australian National University, whose participation was supported by the Embassy of Australia in the Republic of Serbia.
The discussion centred on the legal and political implications of the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on states’ obligations in respect of climate change, delivered on 23 July 2025, and on the United Nations General Assembly resolution of 20 May 2026 welcoming the Advisory Opinion and encouraging its further consideration within the United Nations system. Participants considered their possible impact on international climate governance, climate justice, state responsibility, climate litigation and future negotiations on the road to COP31.
Prof. Dr Carter addressed the development of international climate obligations from the perspectives of Australia and Pacific island states. Particular attention was given to their contribution to making climate justice a central issue in contemporary international law, as well as to the significance of the Advisory Opinion for future climate negotiations, global climate governance, and states and communities particularly exposed to the effects of climate change.
Prof. Dr Mirjana Drenovak-Ivanović examined the implications of the Advisory Opinion for EU candidate countries and their climate legislation. She also addressed recent climate litigation and corporate climate accountability, ESG due diligence obligations, and the growing role of courts in shaping standards of responsibility for states and private actors.
The discussion brought together students, alumni, legal professionals, judges, prosecutors, civil society, business and academia. It also advanced the E-L-C Hub’s role as a platform connecting Environmental Law Clinic and environmental-law master alumni with environmental and climate law practitioners.
