The International Court of Justice, known as the world’s top court, will provide a legal opinion on countries’ obligations to fight climate change. The motion for the first-of-its-kind advisory opinion came from Vanuatu, a Pacific island nation that has been greatly affected by rising sea levels from climate change. Though the International Court of Justice’s opinion is non-binding, it can be cited in climate court cases worldwide and has the potential to change the discourse around individual countries’ responsibilities in protecting the environment. The ICJ has two years to craft their opinion before bringing it to the public.
Image via NAIMUN
Read other stories from the 4/10/23 newsletter: