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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jul/23/healthy-environment-is-a-human-right-top-un-court-rules>
"States must tackle fossil fuels, the world’s top court has ruled, and failing
to prevent harm to the climate could result in them being ordered to pay
reparations.
In a landmark advisory opinion published on Wednesday, the international court
of justice (ICJ) said countries must prevent harm to the climate system and
that failing to do so could result in their having to pay compensation and make
other forms of restitution.
Presenting the 133-page document to a packed court at the Peace Palace in The
Hague, the ICJ president, Yūji Iwasawa, said climate breakdown had severe and
far-reaching consequences which affected natural ecosystems and people. “These
consequences underscore an urgent existential threat,” he said.
The unanimous opinion covers a wide range of matters under international law.
It says states are liable for all kinds of activities that harm the climate,
but it takes explicit aim at fossil fuels.
It says that a state’s failure to take appropriate action to protect the
climate system from greenhouse gas emissions, including through the production
and consumption of fossil fuels, the granting of fossil fuel exploration
licences or the provision of fossil fuel subsidies, “may constitute an
international wrongful act which is attributable to that state”.
Climate campaigners and representatives of vulnerable countries were delighted
with the outcome. Speaking outside the court, Vanuatu’s minister for climate
change, Ralph Regenvanu, said it was a milestone moment for climate justice.
“It has confirmed what vulnerable nations have been saying and have known for
so long,” he said. “That states do have legal obligations to act on climate
change.”
He said the document would be a vital tool in upcoming climate negotiations and
was likely to inspire new lawsuits. Advisory opinions are technically
non-binding but are considered authoritative because they summarise existing
law rather than create laws."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
