Abstract:

This article explains legal implication of COVID 19, and the similarity of the Pandemic to Climate Change Impacts. As countries battling with COVID 19, it is apparent that there are several legal implications: Individual rights v. governmental power during the State of Emergency or similar emergency status; the Importance of data v. the rights of privacy; and Judiciary problems such as court trials, private property-economic freedom v. contract. All of us are grasping to understand and find solution for these problems, and yet a bigger challenge is upon us. This article underlines the similarity of the Pandemic and Climate Change Impacts; they are both linked to rapid change, which is hard to understand for most people; they are both related to carbon taxes and stranded assets in terms of oil and natural resources; but the framing of COVID 19 and Climate Change Impacts in the media, is very different. Considering the facts, this pandemic is just a preview for climate change impacts. The significant death rate of COVID 19 (in the worst hit areas) is nothing to the possibility of injuries, illnesses and deaths from extreme weather and climate events, malnutrition, heat stress and malaria as climate change impacts.

Additional Information: NUS Law Working Paper No. 2020/016