US Edition
UN Court Says Healthy Environment Is a Human Right, Warns Climate Inaction May Breach International Law
SOUTH HOLLAND, NETHERLANDS, JUL 23 – The International Court of Justice declared climate change an existential threat and clarified legal duties of nations, backed by over 130 countries including vulnerable island states.
- On Wednesday, the top United Nations legal body based in The Hague released a non-binding advisory opinion regarding countries' legal responsibilities to address climate change.
- The opinion followed a 2023 U.N. General Assembly request prompted by Vanuatu and other vulnerable island nations facing existential threats from rising sea levels.
- Hearings held last December included arguments from low-lying states for stronger emissions reductions and from wealthy nations supporting existing non-binding treaties like the Paris Agreement.
- Judge Yuji Iwasawa stated greenhouse gas emissions are unequivocally human-caused and not territorially limited, while experts called the opinion a pivotal legal benchmark to hold nations accountable.
- This advisory ruling could strengthen future climate litigation and international cooperation, although major producers like the U.S. and Russia oppose mandated emissions cuts.
369 Articles
369 Articles
ICJ Says Climate Change an 'existential Threat', States Legally Bound to Act
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. In a historic development, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has declared that climate change constitutes an "urgent, existential threat" and that states have binding legal obligations to address it. India News | ICJ Says Climate Change an 'existential Threat', States Legally Bound to Act.
Nation and world at a glance
Court says climate change matter of international law THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The United Nations’ top court in a landmark advisory opinion Wednesday said countries could be in violation of international law if they fail to take measures to protect the planet from climate change, and nations harmed by its effects could be entitled to reparations. Advocates immediately cheered the International Court of Justice opinion on nations’ obligations to …
World’s highest court issues groundbreaking ruling for climate action. Here’s what it means for Australia
JOHN THYS/AFP via Getty ImagesThe world’s highest court says countries are legally obliged to prevent harms caused by climate change, in a ruling that repudiates Australia’s claims it is not legally responsible for emissions from our fossil fuel exports. The landmark ruling overnight by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will reverberate in courts, parliaments and boardrooms the world over. In a closely watched case at The Hague, the judge…
Climate change is an 'existential threat': ICJ
The United Nations' highest court on Wednesday said countries must address the "urgent and existential threat" of climate change by cooperating to curb emissions, as it delivered an opinion set to determine future environmental litigation. The International Court of Justice said failure by countries to meet their climate obligations could, in specific cases, lead other states affected by climate change to litigate. The opinion by the ICJ, also k…
Top UN court says countries can sue each other for damages caused by climate change
While the ruling is seen as a victory for countries that are vulnerable to climate change, the ICG judge in the Hague, Netherlands, said that the process of pinpointing which country was behind climate change would be cumbersome
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