Do We Need a World Climate Court?

We are at a critical juncture in the history of international law, as international courts and dispute settlement bodies grapple with the unfolding climate crisis. This article theorises a World Climate Court as a way of evaluating existing institutions which are being called upon to handle climate-related cases. By discussing the potential composition, jurisdiction and remedial regimes of a World Climate Court, we argue that existing international courts are less than deally equipped for dealing with climate change cases. As a counterpoint, we suggest a World Climate Court composed of international law experts with broad legal expertise and supported by climate scientists. The article argues that a specialised court with a broad mandate to assess the international legal impacts of climate change could offer a structural and redistributive approach to remedies, and decide on climate cases in a more expeditious manner.