Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Milad Haji Esmaeili ¹
• Mohammad Hosein Ramezani Ghavam Abadi ²

¹ Ph.D. Candidate, Oil and Gas Law, Faculty of Law, University of Shahid Beheshti, Tehran, Iran.

² Associate Professor, International Law, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Climate change constitutes one of the most complex challenges in contemporary international law, giving rise to a multilayered and evolving system of obligations. The three core instruments in this field—the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement—represent structurally distinct approaches to state commitments, ranging from cooperative frameworks to binding emission targets and voluntary nationally determined contributions. This structural diversity complicates the interpretation and evaluation of climate obligations. Within this context, the central inquiry of the present study is whether Iran’s legislative and policy measures align with its international climate obligations. The article proceeds in three stages: it first examines the legal nature of commitments under the three treaties; second, it outlines a framework of assessment based on the principles of cooperation, due diligence, and adaptation; and third, it evaluates Iran’s performance within this legal matrix. Using a descriptive-analytical methodology, the study draws upon international treaties, jurisprudence, and domestic instruments. While Iran has made meaningful progress—such as participating in COP negotiations and enacting environmental legislation—the lack of a finalized Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and the failure to ratify the Paris Agreement remain significant deficiencies in its climate governance architecture.

Keywords

• Energy Transition
• Environmental Policy
• Greenhouse Emissions
• International Law
• Sustainable Development

Main Subjects

• Environmental law