Article By Newser
Administration sides with Russia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia
The UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to support strong action to prevent climate change despite diplomatic efforts by the US to have the measure withdrawn. The 193-member world body approved a nonbinding resolution endorsing the landmark advisory opinion by the UN’s top court last July that called failure by countries to protect the planet from climate change a violation of international law. The vote was 141-8 with 28 abstentions, the AP reports. The US, Russia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia—which are among the highest oil-producing nations and major greenhouse gas emitters—opposed the measure.
The text included adopting a national climate action plan to limit global temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius; phasing out subsidies for fossil fuel exploration, production and exploitation; and urging those in violation to provide “full reparation” for damage. The resolution initially included stronger language from the International Court of Justice opinion that called for establishing an “International Register of Damage” to record evidence and claims, but it was removed in order to win over more support. The AP reported in February that the Trump administration had been urging other nations to press the small island country of Vanuatu—the draft’s original sponsor—to withdraw it from consideration. In guidance to all US embassies and consulates, the State Department had said that it “strongly objects” to the proposal and that adoption “could pose a major threat to US industry.”
On Wednesday, Tammy Bruce, deputy US ambassador to the UN, blasted the measure again. “The resolution includes inappropriate political demands relating to fossil fuels and on other climate topics,” Bruce told the assembly before the vote. Representatives from Vanuatu and other island nations, who fear for their survival because of the impact of climate change, said it was important for the General Assembly to back the court opinion, which was hailed as a turning point in international climate law. Odo Tevi, Vanuatu’s ambassador, said before the vote that it “matters because the harm is real and it is already here, along our islands and coast lines, for communities facing drought and failed harvests.” He added, “The states and peoples bearing the heaviest burden are very often those who contributed least to the problem.”
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