US Edition'From Moral Duty to Legal Obligation': Pacific Church Leader Hails ICJ Climate Ruling
THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS, JUL 24 – The ICJ ruling establishes a state's duty to prevent environmental harm from greenhouse gas emissions, recognizing a clean environment as a fundamental human right, based on science and legal precedent.
- On July 23, 2025, the International Court of Justice issued a landmark advisory opinion in The Hague, stating failure to curb emissions may be internationally wrongful and recognizing a healthy environment as a human right.
- Driven by Vanuatu, the 2023 UNGA resolution sought ICJ guidance on climate obligations, supported by over 100 co-sponsors and sparked by 27 USP students' assignment.
- The 132-page decision involved nearly 100 countries and organizations, with 91 written statements and 97 countries in oral proceedings, marking the ICJ’s largest case.
- The advisory opinion empowers nations, groups or people harmed by climate impacts to seek reparations from major polluters and holds states accountable for companies under their jurisdiction, set to feature at the UN General Assembly in September and COP30 in November.
- Legal action may no longer be a last resort and could instead become a primary lever in the sustainability toolbox, with more than 3,000 pending climate lawsuits gaining momentum.
14 Articles
14 Articles
The World Court Adds Muscle to the Climate Fight
Mark Hertsgaard After a “landmark” ruling from the International Court of Justice, journalists can expect more lawsuits against fossil fuel companies. The post The World Court Adds Muscle to the Climate Fight appeared first on The Nation.
International Lawyer Jannika Jahn stresses: The new opinion of the International Court of Justice on the climate protection obligations of states will not be without consequences. Climate actions – both between states and before national courts – are likely to gain in importance and intensity worldwide.
Pacific Elders welcome ICJ climate ruling
The Pacific Elders’ Voice has applauded the International Court of Justice’s historic Advisory Opinion on climate change, calling it a major step forward in holding countries accountable under international law. The group praised the efforts of Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, founded by USP law students in Vanuatu for their advocacy, and thanked the […]
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