Page - 16 - in Loss and Damage from Climate Change - Concepts, Methods and Policy Options

16 R.Mechler et al. forward for researchandpolicy.Adoptingamulti-facetednotionofpowerdrawing onneorealist, liberal andconstructivist schoolsof thought, the authors examine the structuralist paradox inL&Dnegotiations in lightof the fact that smallerparties to theconventionhavebeenabletosuccessfullynegotiatekeymilestoneswithstronger parties.TheauthorsemphasisetherelevanceofdiscursivepowerforL&Ddecisions. FramingL&Dinethicalandlegal termshasbeenimportant todevelopingstandards sharedandagreeduponbeyond theUNFCCCcontext, includingbasicmoralnorms linked to island states’ narratives of survival and the reference to international cus- tomary law(seealso theethicschapterbyWallimann-Helmeret al. 2018).Looking forward, they however argue that a change in narrativemay be conducive to truly achievecollectiveactiononL&Dasanissueofcommonconcerncounteringtherisk of thepolicydebatebecomingawin-losenegotiation“game.” Legal actions on climate change have been proliferating in recent years. Flo- rentina Simlinger and Benoit Mayer explore the current status of debate around LegalResponses to ClimateChange Induced LossandDamage.Thediscussion reviews the legal literature, scoping out the spectrumof potential legal actions on L&Dincludingkeychallengesandpossibledirections for further research.Thedis- cussionbroadlyexaminesprivateandpublicclimatechangelitigationwithexamples fromaround theworld. It also lays out howhuman rights issues havebeen applied in international lawwith a view towardsL&D.As one focus, the authors examine the applicability of theno-harmprinciple in climate change.This principle,which has longbeen applied in international law, requires states to refrain fromactivities that have potential to cause significant transboundary harm, and to prevent actors within its jurisdiction from carrying out such activities. The chapter, furthermore, presentslegalactionswithrelevanceforL&Dnegotiations.Asynopsisofthevarious legalresponsestoL&Dhighlightingtheirpremises,specificchallengesandproposed remedies, providesa succinct summaryof thediscussion. Non-economicLossandDamage(NELD) isadistinct themein theworkplanof the Loss andDamageExecutiveCommittee (WIMExcom). The chapter onNon- economicLossandDamageandtheWarsawInternationalMechanismbyOlivia SerdecznystartsbyprovidingadefinitionofNELDasclimate-relatedmaterial-and non-materialimpacts,riskstowell-being,andassetsandgoodsnotcommonlytraded in themarket.Examplescomprise lossof cultural identity, sacredplaces, aswell as humanhealthandlives.Initialanalysisshowsthatthetwomaincharacteristicsofnon- economicvalues are their context-dependenceand incommensurability.Theauthor suggests that these attributes need to bepreserved and respectedwhen considering measures to avoid the risk of NELDs as part of comprehensive riskmanagement approaches.AddressingNELDsinacentralmechanismundertheUNFCCCrequires substantialunderstandingofthepermanentlylostvaluesandtheirfunctionsforthose negativelyaffected. Studies of L&D fromclimate change have focused strongly on human systems and tended to overlook themediating role of ecosystems and the services ecosys- temsprovide to society.This is a significant knowledgegapas losses anddamages tohumansystemsoftenresult frompermanentor temporarydisturbances toecosys- temsservices causedbyclimatic stressors.Thechapteron the Impacts of Climate