The United Nations' top court has declared that failing to curb emissions violates international law, marking a historic moment for global climate justice and setting the stage for future legal action against polluting states.
In a landmark advisory opinion, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on Wednesday that countries must act collectively and ambitiously to address the 'urgent and existential threat' of climate change.
The court stated that under international law, the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is essential for the enjoyment of other human rights.
“Greenhouse gas emissions are unequivocally caused by human activities which are not territorially limited,” said Judge Yuji Iwasawa as he read the court’s opinion in The Hague.
He emphasized that nations are obligated to cooperate and implement “concrete emission reduction targets,” in line with the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to below 1.5°C.
Though the opinion is non-binding, legal experts see it as a powerful tool for future environmental litigation. Danilo Garrido of Greenpeace called it “the start of a new era of climate accountability at a global level.”
The case, initiated by the UN General Assembly after lobbying from Vanuatu and backed by over 130 nations, asked the ICJ to clarify states’ legal duties on emissions and consequences for climate inaction.
While small island and developing nations called for binding rules and financial support, wealthier states pointed to existing, largely non-binding agreements like the Paris Accord.
With nearly 3,000 climate lawsuits worldwide and global warming on track to exceed 3°C by 2100, campaigners say the ruling reinforces legal grounds for holding countries and corporations accountable.
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Germany and France are aiming to end a long-standing rift over their joint fighter jet project by August, as Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President Emmanuel Macron push for unity in European defense.
Turkish defence firm Aselsan showcased new technologies designed to integrate with Türkiye’s multi-layered Steel Dome air defence system at the International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF 2025) in Istanbul this week.
Senior diplomats from Iran, Russia and China convened in Tehran to coordinate their positions on Iran’s nuclear programme and Western sanctions ahead of upcoming negotiations in Istanbul.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
Australian researchers have pioneered a low-cost and scalable plasma-based method to produce ammonia gas directly from air, offering a green alternative to the traditional fossil fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
The U.S. economy faces a 40% risk of recession in the second half of 2025, JP Morgan analysts said on Wednesday, citing rising tariffs and stagflation concerns.
Media accreditation is now open for COP30, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, set to take place in Belém, Brazil in 2025.
China is battling an unprecedented power surge, as temperatures push electricity demand beyond 1.5 billion kilowatts. Officials warn the real test is still to come, with risks of power rationing looming.
Monsoon rains in northern India has pushed the death toll past 100, claiming the lives of 104 people in in Himachal Pradesh, injuring 189, and left 35 missing, according to officials.
The Brazilian government has responded to growing concerns over accommodation for participants of the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference, COP30, set to take place this November in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, in the city of Belém.
The International Air Transport Association on Wednesday stepped up criticism of the European Union's sustainable aviation fuel mandate as a costly initiative that is not helping the environment as regional supplies there remain low.
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