Responsibility to protect (R2P) revisited

Humanitarian catastrophes as a consequence of progressive climate change are one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. Franziska Kring underlines the important role of the international community of states in combating and mitigating climate change. In her innovative approach, the author applies the concept of Responsibility to Protect (R2P), which was originally intended to prevent human rights violations, to climate change-related humanitarian catastrophes. To this effect, she argues that state responses to such events correspond perfectly with the R2P framework. In particular, the understanding of state sovereignty as responsibility can be used as a theoretical basis for such commitments. The author concludes: Although a general obligation of states to take measures to mitigate climate change cannot be based on R2P, its application in the case of climate change-related humanitarian catastrophes is politically and morally justified.