Abstract

What narratives and framings determine the interpretation of human rights in the face of climate change? Foregrounding the example of the European Court of Human Rights, this talk examines human rights law’s interpretative ethic as determined by a narrative of scarcity. This narrative juxtaposes infinite human needs and wants with limited national and judicial resources, thereby restricting human rights protection - in both theory in practice - in service to a particular kind of economic thinking. Using the Court’s climate cases as a focal point, the present piece argues for a refiguring of scarcity, one that re-centers the limited and ever-shrinking possibilities of addressing environmental breakdown. 

About Professor Heri

Professor Corina Heri has recently joined Vrije Universiteit Brussel after holding positions at the University of Zurich, the University of Amsterdam, and Tilburg University, where she built an impressive academic track record. She obtained her PhD from the University of Zurich.

She is the Principal Investigator of the FWO-funded Odysseus project 𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐖, officially launching on 1 April. The project explores the temporal dimension of climate litigation, addressing crucial questions around causation, responsibility for historical emissions, and equity towards the future.