The International Court of Justice delivered an advisory opinion affirming that a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is a human right. This 500-page document outlines countries' obligations regarding climate change and the potential consequences of inaction. The opinion may pave the way for legal accountability among states and domestic lawsuits. The court's statement highlights the severe impacts of climate change on both ecosystems and human populations. This opinion follows international campaigns advocating for climate rights, led notably by Pacific island nations and law students.
A clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a human right, according to judges at the top court of the United Nations. The international court of justice (ICJ) delivered a landmark advisory opinion on Wednesday about countries' obligations to tackle climate change.
The ICJ states that enshrining a sustainable environment as a human right may lead to legal actions, such as states returning to the ICJ to hold each other accountable.
The ICJ was instructed to produce this document by the UN in 2023, after years of campaigning by a group of Pacific island law students and diplomacy led by the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu.
During two weeks of hearings in The Hague, representatives of vulnerable states told judges that a handful of countries should be held legally responsible for the continuing impacts of climate change.
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