ICJ weighs legal responsibility for climate change, ‘future of our planet’
3 months, 2 weeks ago

ICJ weighs legal responsibility for climate change, ‘future of our planet’

Al Jazeera  

The International Court of Justice’s 15 judges will consider arguments made by more than 100 countries in a case led by Vanuatu and other Pacific island nations. “It is with a profound sense of urgency and responsibility that I stand before you today,” Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatu’s special envoy for climate change and environment, said as he opened the hearings on December 2. Among countries that provided oral statements during the hearings was the State of Palestine, which joined other developing nations in calling for international law to “take centre stage in protecting humanity from the dangerous path of human-made destruction resulting from climate change”. “These nations, representing only a fraction of the global population, are overwhelmingly responsible for the climate crisis,” she added, “and yet, the impacts of climate change do not respect borders.” The hearings come after 132 countries at the United Nations General Assembly voted in March 2023 to support Vanuatu’s push for an opinion from the ICJ on the legal obligations nations are under to protect current and future generations from climate change. But the Climate Action Network International, a network of 1,900 civil society groups in more than 130 countries, described the deal as a “joke”, when compared with the costs developing countries are facing as climate change worsens.

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History of this topic

It is time to move the UN and international law out of the West
1 month, 3 weeks ago

It is time to move the UN and international law out of the West

Al Jazeera  

The exceptional immunity that Israel has enjoyed for decades has placed international law and its institutions at a knife’s edge. For example, prominent Chilean legal scholar Alejandro Alvarez proposed a “new international law” some 70 years ago. In a series of dissenting opinions in cases he deliberated on, Alvarez called for a “new international law” which accommodated the particular historical …

Hearings are done: Now the wait begins for verdict on closely-watched climate case at UN’s top court
Trending News
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Hearings are done: Now the wait begins for verdict on closely-watched climate case at UN’s top court

Associated Press  

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A lawyer for a small South Pacific island nation told the world’s highest court to heed her warning. The International Court of Justice took up the largest case in its history after the United Nations General Assembly asked the institution to clarify what countries worldwide are legally required to do to combat climate change and help …

The wait begins for a verdict on closely watched climate case at U.N.’s top court
3 months, 2 weeks ago

The wait begins for a verdict on closely watched climate case at U.N.’s top court

LA Times  

Activists protest Monday outside the International Court of Justice in The Hague as it opens hearings into what countries are legally required to do to combat climate change and help vulnerable nations fight its devastating impact. The International Court of Justice took up the largest case in its history after the United Nations General Assembly asked the institution to clarify …

"No free riders" Dutch tell top UN court over climate change
3 months, 2 weeks ago

"No free riders" Dutch tell top UN court over climate change

Dutch News  

The Netherlands told the UN’s top court on Tuesday that without sufficient action to combat global warming, the Peace Palace may soon be an island. “There is no room for free riders on this planet,” René Lefeber, legal adviser to the ministry of foreign affairs, told the International Court of Justice at a ground-breaking case on the legal rights and …

Closely-watched international climate case in the Hague wraps up its first week of testimony
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Closely-watched international climate case in the Hague wraps up its first week of testimony

Associated Press  

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A closely-watched international climate case that could yield guidance for governments around the world wrapped its first week of arguments before the top court of the United Nations in The Hague Friday. The U.N. General Assembly asked the court last year for an opinion on “the obligations of States in respect of climate change.” “The stakes …

Landmark climate change case opens at the top UN court
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Landmark climate change case opens at the top UN court

Dutch News  

Two weeks of hearings into the legal rights and responsibilities of countries regarding climate change opened at the UN’s top court in The Hague on Monday, with the small island nation of Vanuatu urging International Court of Justice judges to hold the world’s polluters legally responsible. “Today, we find ourselves on the front lines of a crisis we did not …

Big climate change case in top UN court: Are wealthy nations legally bound to help vulnerable ones?
Trending News
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Big climate change case in top UN court: Are wealthy nations legally bound to help vulnerable ones?

Firstpost  

Any decision by the court would be non-binding advice and couldn’t directly force wealthy nations into action to help struggling countries. Yet it would be more than just a powerful symbol since it could be the basis for other legal actions, including domestic lawsuits Activists put up a billboard outside the International Court of Justice, in The Hague, Netherlands, as …

A landmark climate change case opens at the top UN court as island nations fear rising seas
3 months, 3 weeks ago

A landmark climate change case opens at the top UN court as island nations fear rising seas

Associated Press  

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The top United Nations court took up the largest case in its history on Monday, hearing the plight of several small island nations helpless in combating the devastating impact of climate change that they feel endangers their very survival. After years of lobbying by island nations who fear they could simply disappear under rising sea waters, …

Landmark climate change case opens at top U.N. court as island nations fear rising seas
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Landmark climate change case opens at top U.N. court as island nations fear rising seas

LA Times  

Hearings began Monday at the International Court of Justice in The Hague into what countries worldwide are legally required to do to combat climate change and help vulnerable nations fight its devastating effects. After years of lobbying by island nations that fear they could simply disappear under rising sea waters, the U.N. General Assembly asked the International Court of Justice …

A landmark climate change case will open at the top UN court as island nations fear rising seas
3 months, 4 weeks ago

A landmark climate change case will open at the top UN court as island nations fear rising seas

Associated Press  

THE HAGUE — The top United Nations court will take up the largest case in its history on Monday, when it opens two weeks of hearings into what countries worldwide are legally required to do to combat climate change and help vulnerable nations fight its devastating impact. After years of lobbying by island nations who fear they could simply disappear …

International Court of Justice to begin hearings in landmark climate change case started by Pacific Islander students
3 months, 4 weeks ago

International Court of Justice to begin hearings in landmark climate change case started by Pacific Islander students

ABC  

A landmark case that began in a Pacific classroom and could change the course of future climate talks is about to be heard in the International Court of Justice. The road to the ICJ — nicknamed the "World Court" — started five years ago when a group of law students studying in Vanuatu began discussing how they could help bring …

Climate discussions near conclusion at COP29
4 months, 1 week ago

Climate discussions near conclusion at COP29

ABC  

As the UN Climate Change Conference enters its final three days, there's uncertainty as to whether developed nations will agree to a trillion dollar climate financing agreement demanded by small island states. Suva born Neharika Gambhir has become the first Fijian to become an analog astronaut – a stepping stone towards getting into space. In Vanuatu, Biosecurity officials say they've …

Commonwealth Nations to Discuss Slavery Reparations and Climate Change at Summit in Samoa
5 months ago

Commonwealth Nations to Discuss Slavery Reparations and Climate Change at Summit in Samoa

Hindustan Times  

Commonwealth nations will discuss slavery reparations and climate change at a summit in Samoa. The meeting will focus on the legacy of British slavery and the need for reparations for descendants of enslaved people. Climate change is another major topic of discussion, with island leaders calling for a commitment to the Paris Accord's warming goal of 1.5 degrees C. The …

A push for more climate action
9 months, 2 weeks ago

A push for more climate action

The Hindu  

International climate change litigation reached a milestone on May 21, 2024 when the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea delivered an advisory opinion sought by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law concerning the specific obligations of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on climate change …

Random Forays: Climate change- understanding what we can do
9 months, 4 weeks ago

Random Forays: Climate change- understanding what we can do

Hindustan Times  

Aren’t we feeling smothered by the searing heat which has melted all previous records this summer? Though everyone cannot plant mini forests, there are organisations like Eco Sikhs which are assisting those desirous of planting volumes of trees. At the recent launch of advocate Jatinder ‘Jay’ Cheema’s book titled “Climate Change- The Policy, Law and Practice”, the aspect of individual …

Island states win historic climate case in world oceans court
10 months, 1 week ago

Island states win historic climate case in world oceans court

Al Jazeera  

World court rules countries must protect oceans by reducing fossil fuel emissions as island states fight for survival. Nine small island states have won a historic climate change case at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, which ruled that all signatories to a United Nations treaty on marine activities must do more to protect the world’s oceans …

UN maritime tribunal says countries are legally required to reduce greenhouse gas pollution
10 months, 1 week ago

UN maritime tribunal says countries are legally required to reduce greenhouse gas pollution

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A U.N. tribunal on maritime …

Climate crisis impacts citizens’ right to life: Supreme Court
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Climate crisis impacts citizens’ right to life: Supreme Court

Hindustan Times  

Climate change impacts the constitutional guarantee of right to life, the Supreme Court said in a recent judgment, emphasising that India must prioritise clean energy initiatives such as solar power as citizens have a right to be free from the adverse effects of the climate emergency. “Beyond mere adherence to international agreements, India’s pursuit of sustainable development reflects the complex …

The legal battles changing the course of climate change
1 year, 3 months ago

The legal battles changing the course of climate change

BBC  

The legal battles changing the course of climate change Getty Images The number of climate lawsuits globally has surged in recent years Governments, fossil fuel firms and airlines are increasingly being met with climate lawsuits. Climate inaction and human rights In a landmark case, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Switzerland was violating the human rights of its …

At COP28 summit, activists and officials voice concern over Gaza’s environment, devastated by war
1 year, 3 months ago

At COP28 summit, activists and officials voice concern over Gaza’s environment, devastated by war

Associated Press  

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — As leaders, officials and activists descend on Dubai for United Nations climate talks to discuss saving Earth, another environmental crisis is nearby, and it’s raising concerns among summit participants. The Secretary-General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Jagan Chapagain warned during the summit that Gaza could “become an environmental catastrophe.” …

Interwoven struggles: The green paradox meets the Palestine paradox
1 year, 5 months ago

Interwoven struggles: The green paradox meets the Palestine paradox

Al Jazeera  

Marwan Bishara explains how and why the struggles for Palestinian liberation and climate justice became one and the same. A recent opinion piece by David Wallace-Wells published in The New York Times succinctly exposed the hypocrisy of the current US administration’s holier-than-thou attitude on climate change by underlining the fact that the United States will be responsible for over one-third …

The Pacific-Caribbean Climate Case
1 year, 5 months ago

The Pacific-Caribbean Climate Case

The Diplomat  

In mid-September, the prime ministers of Tuvalu and Antigua and Barbuda gave evidence in a landmark case brought before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg, Germany. The two prime ministers represented a coalition known as the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law, which consists of a number of Pacific and …

Pacific Island nations seek climate change ruling for polluters at international Oceans Court
1 year, 6 months ago

Pacific Island nations seek climate change ruling for polluters at international Oceans Court

ABC  

When Naima Te Maile Fifita stood before an international court to make a plea for help in the face of climate change, she evoked images of motherhood and connection. Key points: Small island countries are asking the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea for a landmark ruling Pacific leaders say their homes will become uninhabitable, if not fully …

Climate change is the new, fast-growing field of litigation
1 year, 9 months ago

Climate change is the new, fast-growing field of litigation

The Independent  

At the last count, there were more than 1,000 cases pending in the US courts. Last month, Greenpeace and ReCommon launched a lawsuit against energy group Eni for contributing to the climate crisis via its fossil fuel operation. DWS, the German asset manager, had to settle a court case after claiming its Climate Tech Fund excluded companies active in controversial …

The challenges and promises of climate lawsuits
1 year, 10 months ago

The challenges and promises of climate lawsuits

The Hindu  

Lawsuits against emissions-spewing governments and fossil fuel companies have established themselves as a key tool in the battle against climate change, but they aren't always successful Even the temperate, mountainous country of Switzerland isn't immune to climate change. "One of the reasons it's so important to look closely at these cases and the impact they're having is because their impact …

UN backs landmark Pacific-led resolution clearing way for International Court of Justice advisory opinion on climate obligations
1 year, 11 months ago

UN backs landmark Pacific-led resolution clearing way for International Court of Justice advisory opinion on climate obligations

ABC  

The United Nations has adopted a landmark resolution asking the International Court of Justice to deliver an opinion on climate change and the legal consequences countries face for harming the environment. Key points: The International Court of Justice will now determine states' legal and financial obligations in preventing climate harm Melbourne Law School professor Margaret Young says advisory opinions carry …

UN seeks court opinion on climate in win for island states
1 year, 11 months ago

UN seeks court opinion on climate in win for island states

Associated Press  

The countries of the United Nations led by the island state of Vanuatu adopted what they called a historic resolution Wednesday calling for the U.N.'s highest court to strengthen countries’ obligations to curb warming and protect communities from climate disaster. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said he hoped the opinion, when issued, would encourage nations “to take the bolder and stronger …

UN wants International Court of Justice’s view on countries’ climate obligations
2 years ago

UN wants International Court of Justice’s view on countries’ climate obligations

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Vanuatu prime minister Ishmael Kalsakau said it “will have a powerful and positive impact on how we address climate …

UNGA is expected to adopt resolution to outline legal obligations related to climate change
2 years ago

UNGA is expected to adopt resolution to outline legal obligations related to climate change

The Hindu  

The United Nations General Assembly on March 29 is expected to adopt a resolution calling for a top court to outline legal obligations related to climate change, an "unprecedented challenge of civilisational proportions." The UN resolution notably asks the ICJ to clarify the "legal consequences" for states which "have caused significant harm to the climate system and other parts of …

UN votes to ask world court to rule on countries’ climate duties
2 years ago

UN votes to ask world court to rule on countries’ climate duties

Al Jazeera  

The call for the International Court of Justice to provide a legal opinion on the climate crisis follows a campaign led by the Pacific island of Vanuatu. The United Nations General Assembly adopted a landmark resolution asking the world’s top court to define the obligations of countries to combat climate change. “If and when given, such an opinion would assist …

UN agrees on role for Int’l Court of Justice in climate change
2 years ago

UN agrees on role for Int’l Court of Justice in climate change

Al Jazeera  

Pacific island state Vanuatu – one of the world’s most vulnerable to climate change – has led the UN initiative to deliver climate justice with a legal basis. “For us, an unprecedented weather event, consistent with what science tells us is a result of climate change,” Vanuatu’s Minister of Climate Change Adaptation Ralph Regenvanu said last week at a press …

In the Face of Climate Change, the Pacific Leads Boldly
2 years ago

In the Face of Climate Change, the Pacific Leads Boldly

The Diplomat  

Several months after The Diplomat Magazine’s first issue, the looming COP21 climate talks promised a watershed in global action on climate change. In concluding, he wrote, “The future of global climate lies in what development paths this region takes going forward.” In that vein, in Issue 36, Neil Bhatiya took stock of the political climate in the lead-up to COP23, …

International courts and climate change
2 years, 1 month ago

International courts and climate change

The Hindu  

A group of 16 countries has launched a gallant effort to fight the problem of climate change — an existential threat to human civilisation — at the United Nations. Led by Vanuatu — an island country in the South Pacific Ocean — the group seeks an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the issue of climate change. …

MPs back investigation into court-based climate activism
2 years, 1 month ago

MPs back investigation into court-based climate activism

Dutch News  

Cabinet parties VVD and CDA have again joined forces with the far right to back a motion calling for an ‘investigation’ into the way interest groups and private citizens are forcing the government to take action through the courts. SGP parliamentarian Chris Stoffer said during the debate that organisations like Urgenda and MOB are not acting in the general interest …

MPs back investigation into court-based climate activism
2 years, 1 month ago

MPs back investigation into court-based climate activism

Dutch News  

Cabinet parties VVD and CDA have again joined forces with the far right to back a motion calling for an ‘investigation’ into the way interest groups and private citizens are forcing the government to take action through the courts. SGP parliamentarian Chris Stoffer said during the debate that organisations like Urgenda and MOB are not acting in the general interest …

Treaty against fossil fuels floated at UN climate summit
2 years, 4 months ago

Treaty against fossil fuels floated at UN climate summit

Associated Press  

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt — The world should confront climate change the way it does nuclear weapons, by agreeing to a non-proliferation treaty that stops further production of fossil fuels, a small island nation leader urged Tuesday. “We all know that the leading cause of climate crisis is fossil fuels,” Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano told his fellow leaders. For the …

Vanuatu’s big plea does little to arrest climate change
2 years, 4 months ago

Vanuatu’s big plea does little to arrest climate change

The Hindu  

There is a strong belief in some quarters that the next climate conference, just days away in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt this year may not discuss climate change mitigation largely on account of the ongoing energy stress in Europe. A similar call on coal use Vanuatu’s plea comes in the wake of a similar call for phaseout of coal …

Climate change gets ‘highest priority’ in US, Pacific agreement
2 years, 5 months ago

Climate change gets ‘highest priority’ in US, Pacific agreement

Al Jazeera  

New partnership deal signed by 14 nations follows historic summit at the White House and comes as China extends influence in the region. The United States and Pacific island nations have signed up to a new era of cooperation, making climate change the “highest priority” and promising to work together to ensure a peaceful region where “democracy is allowed to …

Pacific youth need action on climate change, Vanuatu PM says, as leaders seek to appeal to world's highest court
2 years, 8 months ago

Pacific youth need action on climate change, Vanuatu PM says, as leaders seek to appeal to world's highest court

ABC  

Vanuatu's Prime Minister has criticised the slow pace of international negotiations to reduce carbon emissions as "totally out of step" with the threat facing Pacific Island nations. Key points: Leaders discuss international support and funding to fight the impacts of climate change at the Pacific Islands Forum Bob Loughman says the International Court of Justice could boost funding for climate …

Commonwealth heads call for climate action at Rwanda meeting
2 years, 9 months ago

Commonwealth heads call for climate action at Rwanda meeting

Associated Press  

KIGALI, Rwanda — Leaders of Commonwealth nations are calling for increased climate action at a meeting in Rwanda this week, ahead of the United Nations climate change summit in the seaside resort of Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt later this year. Commonwealth governments must submit their emission reduction targets by Sept. 23, he said, “including their long-term strategies.” Sharma noted …

Climate change a greater threat to security than war, says Fiji
2 years, 9 months ago

Climate change a greater threat to security than war, says Fiji

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Climate change poses a greater threat to the security of the Asia-Pacific region than conflict, …

‘We are in danger now’: Vanuatu declares climate emergency
2 years, 10 months ago

‘We are in danger now’: Vanuatu declares climate emergency

Al Jazeera  

Prime Minister Bob Loughman says using the term ’emergency’ is a way of signalling the need for ‘responsible nations to match action to the size and urgency of the crisis’. Vanuatu’s parliament has declared a climate emergency with the low-lying island nation’s prime minister flagging a $1.2bn cost to cushion global warming’s impacts on his tiny Pacific country. “The use …

Postcards from the frontlines of climate change
2 years, 10 months ago

Postcards from the frontlines of climate change

ABC  

Tok Pisin • 中文版 • Indonesian Australia has some 16 Pacific Island neighbours — some with a landmass a millionth our size — who unanimously declare climate change the "single greatest threat" to the region. Climate Action Network project manager Ralph Spring in 2022: "The mentality here is we know it's going to happen sooner or later — we're going …

Supreme Court Climate Skeptics Will Help Decide the Fate of the Planet
3 years ago

Supreme Court Climate Skeptics Will Help Decide the Fate of the Planet

Slate  

Last fall, on the same day that the parties to the Paris Agreement gathered in Glasgow for their first day of their annual international climate meeting, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would review an appellate court decision about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases from fossil fuel power plants under the Clean Air Act. “What …

Tuvalu minister gives Cop26 speech knee-deep in sea to highlight climate crisis
3 years, 4 months ago

Tuvalu minister gives Cop26 speech knee-deep in sea to highlight climate crisis

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Tuvalu foreign minister Simon Kofe has delivered a speech to Cop26 while standing knee-deep in …

COP26 should listen to small states and island nations at risk
3 years, 4 months ago

COP26 should listen to small states and island nations at risk

Al Jazeera  

This week, world leaders are gathered in Glasgow to define the next 30 years of our response to the climate crisis. Currently, only 2 percent of international finance available actually reaches small island nations, even as they grapple with the worst of climate change, including sea level rise and increasingly frequent and disastrous weather, with dire socioeconomic consequences. To help …

As COVID cases rise, some activists fearful of climate talks
3 years, 4 months ago

As COVID cases rise, some activists fearful of climate talks

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Climate activist Lavetanalagi Seru has …

Small islands caught between tourism economy, climate change
3 years, 5 months ago

Small islands caught between tourism economy, climate change

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The United Nations recognizes 38 …

Small islands caught between tourism economy, climate change
3 years, 6 months ago

Small islands caught between tourism economy, climate change

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Come visit the Maldives, its president entreated the world at this year’s United Nations General Assembly, moments before switching to an impassioned plea for help combating climate change. The United Nations recognizes 38 member states, scattered across the world’s waters, as small island developing states grouped together because they face “unique social, economic and environmental challenges.” This …

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