War, Climate Apocalypse, and the State's Obligation to Protect Fishermen

In a study published by The Guardian, the US-Israel attacks on Iran in the first two weeks have been recorded as producing enormous emissions. The figure is staggering: 5,055,016 tonnes of CO2, equivalent to the total emissions of 84 low-emission countries.

If this war continues for the next year, scientists calculate that the total emissions will reach 131,430,416 tonnes of CO2. This amount of emissions is far from insignificant. Historically, US emissions are the largest in the world. Based on data published by Our World in Data, from 1751 to 2017 alone, the US has produced 399 billion tonnes of emissions, equivalent to 25 per cent of global emissions. Based on this, The New York Times has called the US the biggest carbon polluter in history.

With the explosion of emissions continuing to grow, it can be estimated that in the coming years our planet will become even hotter. The trigger is none other than the emissions produced from various war machines constantly powered by fossil fuels. The United States (US) and Israel deserve condemnation from the international community for initiating this warfare.

In various international forums, such as the 31st COP (Conference of the Parties) or the UN’s highest annual conference to discuss climate change policies, which will be held in Antalya, Turkey, it is necessary to agree that the war conducted by the US and Israel constitutes a climate crime, as it will lead the Earth towards a climate apocalypse due to the emissions they release.

The massive emissions produced from the war will worsen the Earth’s situation. The World Meteorological Organisation (2026) emphasises that from 2015 to 2025, these have been recorded as the 11 hottest years in human history.

The current war is not just a regional event in West Asia, but a true reflection of the face of contemporary human civilisation, where this war will continue to trigger disaster after disaster that must be borne by innocent groups of society.

In other parts of the world, various communities that have no significant contribution continue to be affected by the climate crisis. Millions of people are struggling to defend their homes from the threat of rising seas. In Indonesia, tens of millions of people have had to evacuate due to extreme weather triggering floods and landslides.

Then, millions of fishermen are still forced to set out to sea amid extreme weather because they have no other choice. Not a few of them die at sea for the noble task of providing for their families in a halal manner. Meanwhile, fishermen in some areas are forced to stay away from the sea because extreme weather endangers them.