US EditionUN court ruling may allow poorer countries to sue polluting nations
THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS, JUL 25 – The International Court of Justice recognized climate harm as a breach of international law and said countries may owe reparations, with nearly 3,000 climate lawsuits filed globally, experts said.
- The United Nations' International Court of Justice issued a landmark advisory opinion on July 23, 2025, affirming countries' legal obligations to address climate change.
- This advisory followed a historic December 2024 hearing where over 100 countries and organizations debated major emitters' duties and accountability under international law.
- The court recognized that having an environment free from pollution and capable of being maintained for future generations is a basic human entitlement and cautioned that nations neglecting to address climate damage may face legal claims for compensation from more vulnerable countries.
- Experts like Siobhan McDonnell called it a "landmark case" opening legal pathways for reparations, while youth activists and advocates celebrated the ruling's moral and legal authority.
- The ruling is expected to prompt new climate litigation and place pressure on countries including Australia and New Zealand to align policies with a 1.5C target and demonstrate real climate action.
306 Articles
306 Articles
My Turn: International Court: Nations are liable for fossil fuel harms
Maintaining our spirits and energy is a vital part of being a human being in these challenging times. In the face of so many climate-and-democracy-destroying, vile actions by the current federal regime we need positive stories to cheer and sustain us. Remembering and sharing these stories is life-affirming work. The story of how this international court opinion came about has been cheering me. If it touches you, please share it.
Adjusting the Temperature: Climate Change and International Law
Before the clenching constipation of reluctant and cloddish policy makers, climate change advocates have found courts surprisingly amenable to their concerns. Bodies of environmental law in national courts and international tribunals are now burgeoning on the obligations of states to address ecological harms and the effects of greenhouse gas emissions. As is often the case, it’s the children at the vanguard, pointing scolding fingers at the adul…
ICJ: Every country obligated by climate and other international laws to stop global warming – The Mail & Guardian
Legal history was made on 23 July when the International Court of Justice (ICJ) released its advisory opinion on the Obligation of States in Respect to Climate Change. At the request of the Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu, supported by more than 130 countries, the United Nations General Assembly asked the ICJ for such an opinion in 2023. The ICJ is the UN’s main judicial body and is often referred to as the World Court. It has a dual role: firs…
Climate justice: ICJ ruling gives Philippines power to sue major polluters
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has unanimously decided that climate-vulnerable nations like the Philippines can demand reparations from major polluting nations. But what does this mean for Filipinos?
All countries in the world are obliged to slow global warming, says the ICJ in an expert report. But what happens if they don't comply with it? The court also has an answer to this – the consequences may have.
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