The United Nations’ top court will outline what governments must do under international law to protect the planet from human‑driven emissions and what consequences they face for failing, capping years of lobbying by low‑lying island nations.
The non‑binding ruling, requested by the U.N. General Assembly in 2023, asks the 15‑judge panel to answer two questions: states’ obligations to safeguard the climate and environment, and the legal fallout when their actions—or inaction—cause significant harm.
“The stakes could not be higher. The survival of my people and so many others is on the line”, Vanuatu Attorney General Arnold Kiel Loughman told the court during December hearings. Sea levels rose about 4.3 cm globally in the decade to 2023, with faster increases in parts of the Pacific; global temperatures are already 1.3 C above pre‑industrial levels.
Vanuatu and other small Pacific states argue international agreements move too slowly. Although Wednesday’s opinion cannot force wealthy polluters to act, it could underpin domestic lawsuits and future treaties, said Joie Chowdhury of the Center for International Environmental Law.
Major fossil‑fuel producers the United States and Russia oppose any court‑mandated emission cuts. Yet, island governments see momentum: the Inter‑American Court of Human Rights recently affirmed states must prevent and repair environmental damage, and Europe’s top rights court last year ordered better climate protection for citizens.
In 2019, the Dutch Supreme Court held that shielding people from climate impacts is a human right.
Activists hope the Hague ruling, by scrutinizing past, present and future responsibilities, will add fresh legal muscle to the global fight against climate change.
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Source: The Associated Press