MNCs under International Climate Change Regime: Recognizing Atmospheric Absorptive Capacity as the Common Heritage of Mankind

• Author: Tsung-Sheng Liao
• Pages: 379-380

Atmospheric Absorptive Capacity 379

IX JEAIL 2 (2016)

Tsung-Sheng Liao

∗

Global warming is a result of human influence. However, little has been done to

stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere to a ‘safe’ level. An

important factor for such dismal state of affairs is that the international community

has emphasized far too much on the State-centric approach to combating climate

change. The international legal regime does not directly control major emitters or

MNCs. This article recognizes the atmosphere as a part of the global commons and

the atmospheric absorptive capacity as the common heritage of mankind. Therefore,

the international community can pave the way to link global climate change regime

and MNCs. Those common interests of the international community can be protected

when MNCs turn their production processes green, by redirecting their investment

into green technology, and try to alter the negative status quo.

Keywords

MNCs, Climate Change Regime, Atmospheric Absorptive Capacity,

Common Heritage of Mankind

MNCs under International

Climate Change Regime:

Recognizing Atmospheric

Absorptive Capacity as

the Common Heritage

of Mankind

∗ Associate Professor of International Law at National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan. LL.M./S.J.D. (U. Wisconsin-

Madison). ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8009-5227. The author may be contacted at: lawtsl@ccu.edu.tw/

Address: Department of Law, National Chung Cheng University, #168, University Rd., Min-Hsiung Township, Chiayi

County, Taiwan 62102. The author wishes to show his gratefulness to reviewers for their insightful comments, and to

acknowledge the support from the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan (MOST 102-2410-H-194-067-MY3).

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14330/jeail.2016.9.2.04

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