Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has urged incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham to guarantee that a ruling from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will not weaken UK support for drilling in the North Sea. Badenoch's call follows a new report warning the ruling could leave the UK facing climate damages claims worth up to £4 trillion and put future offshore developments at risk.
Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Badenoch asked Burnham to reassure the country that "no 'advisory opinion' will weaken our commitment to drilling" in the North Sea. She also revealed she has asked her Shadow Attorney General to examine whether the UK should continue accepting the ICJ's jurisdiction.
The warning stems from a report by Policy Exchange, which said an ICJ advisory opinion issued last year could open the door to legal claims against countries over historic greenhouse gas emissions. An advisory opinion is a non-binding legal opinion the ICJ issues when a UN body asks it to clarify a question of international law.
