Haji Esmaeili, M., Ramezani Ghavam Abadi, M. (2025). Legal Analysis of Iran's Government Actions in Fulfillment of Mitigation Commitments under Climate Treaties. , (), -. doi: 10.22054/qjpl.2025.83629.3089
Milad Haji Esmaeili; Mohammad Hosein Ramezani Ghavam Abadi. "Legal Analysis of Iran's Government Actions in Fulfillment of Mitigation Commitments under Climate Treaties". , , , 2025, -. doi: 10.22054/qjpl.2025.83629.3089
Haji Esmaeili, M., Ramezani Ghavam Abadi, M. (2025). 'Legal Analysis of Iran's Government Actions in Fulfillment of Mitigation Commitments under Climate Treaties', , (), pp. -. doi: 10.22054/qjpl.2025.83629.3089
Haji Esmaeili, M., Ramezani Ghavam Abadi, M. Legal Analysis of Iran's Government Actions in Fulfillment of Mitigation Commitments under Climate Treaties. , 2025; (): -. doi: 10.22054/qjpl.2025.83629.3089
Legal Analysis of Iran's Government Actions in Fulfillment of Mitigation Commitments under Climate Treaties
پژوهش حقوق عمومی
Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 11 November 2025
1Ph.D. Candidate, Oil and Gas Law, Faculty of Law, University of Shahid Beheshti, Tehran, Iran.
2Associate 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.