UN court rules countries must treat climate change
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UN’s top court says failing to protect planet from climate change could violate international law
The United Nations’ top court in a landmark advisory opinion says 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.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The United Nations’ top court has issued a landmark advisory opinion on climate change, its 15-black-robed judges weighing in for the first time on what the court’s president called “an existential problem of planetary proportions that imperils all forms of life and the very health of our planet.”
The International Court of Justice, the top United Nations court, decided Wednesday that countries would be violating international law if they fail to do their part to protect the planet.
The world’s top court has said a healthy environment is a human right, and governments could be violating international law if they fail to act on climate change in a landmark ruling for international law and environmental justice.
The opinion of the International Court of Justice is seen by some as a turning point in international climate law, with judges finding that states affected by global warming could be eligible for reparations.
The United Nations' highest court will deliver an opinion on Wednesday that is likely to determine the course of future climate action across the world. Known as an advisory opinion, the deliberation of the 15 judges of the International Court of Justice in The Hague is legally non-binding.
Today, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivered its Advisory Opinion on the obligations of States to protect the climate system.
The International Court of Justice ruling that countries have a legal duty to curb climate change was the result of a years-long campaign that began with university students.
In a historic advisory opinion, the International Court of Justice ruled that access to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is a fundamental human right.