Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has warned that Britain could "go bankrupt" if an advisory ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on climate change obligations is allowed to proceed. In an explosive essay for the Daily Mail, Badenoch stated that "one of the international bodies determined to bankrupt and ruin our country has struck again."
£4 Trillion Reparations Risk
A report by the Policy Exchange think tank warned that the UK could face trillions of pounds in reparations to developing countries for historic carbon emissions if the ICJ ruling goes ahead. The authors said it "exposes the UK to a new wave of litigation and to colossal financial risks" and called on the government to "take immediate action to protect the UK." According to the report, if the UK is held responsible for 3% of all emissions, the liability could amount to just over £4 trillion.
Badenoch's Concerns
Badenoch stressed that while the ICJ ruling is advisory, the same was true of the transfer of sovereignty over the Chagos Islands. Labour has pledged to lease back Diego Garcia, the joint US-UK military base, at a cost of up to £35 billion to British taxpayers over the next century. She also fears that Britain could lose the ability to exploit natural resources in the North Sea under the ruling. Badenoch reinforced that her priorities remain drilling for oil and gas, citing the war in Ukraine and the Gulf as evidence of the UK's vulnerability to fuel price fluctuations.
UK's Unique ICJ Position
The UK is the only permanent member of the UN Security Council that accepts the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ, while France and the US do not. Badenoch has asked the Shadow Attorney General to consider whether the government needs to make changes to arrangements with the ICJ so that the UK does not have to blindly accept all jurisdiction. She has requested a report by the autumn.
Reactions from Senior Figures
Several senior judicial and political figures have also sounded the alarm. Former Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind said it would be "ridiculous" to target the UK with lawsuits because the industrial revolution began there.
