International law and climate change adaptation: What can we expect from multilateral action?
Summary of the presentation
COP30 ended with mixed results, despite the expectations raised by the advisory opinion delivered in July 2025 by the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Adaptation, a fundamental pillar of the Paris Agreement alongside mitigation and finance, appears to have been neglected in recent negotiations due to a lack of quantified targets, binding mechanisms and sufficient funding. This presentation explores the role of international law in reviving multilateral action on adaptation and examines the potential of climate litigation in getting results. Long focused on emissions reduction, climate litigation is evolving and could influence public policy. The objective is to take a critical look at this emerging phenomenon and to obtain a broad understanding of the role of adaptation in global climate governance.
Learning objectives:
Understand the role of adaptation in the multilateral climate framework and the potential of international law to advance global adaptation goals
Explain recent developments in this area (International Court of Justice decision, review of COP30 in Belém, etc.)
Analyze the progress of national climate litigation regarding adaptation and its possible impact on public policy
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* Presentation in french
Speaker(s)
Camille Martini is a doctoral student at the law faculties of Laval University and Aix-Marseille University. He is the recipient of the Réal-Décoste/Ouranos Excellence Scholarship from the FRQNT and a member of the Theses program of the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME). Before devoting himself full-time to his doctoral research, Camille practiced international law as a lawyer at the New York and Paris bars. He also teaches public international law, international negotiations, and international environmental law at the University of Sherbrooke and Laval University.
