UN Resolution on Climate Justice Sets Precedent for Global Action

The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution spearheaded by Vanuatu and youth activists to secure a legal opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to clarify states’ obligations to tackle the climate crisis and specify any consequences countries should face for inaction. The resolution, co-sponsored by more than 120 countries including the UK, but not the US, will help establish a legal litmus test for the global climate justice movement seeking to hold countries to account for climate failures in the courts. The ICJ advisory will help establish whether there is a legal obligation for countries to do what they have committed to in non-binding treaties such as the 2015 Paris climate accord, and whether failure to do so can be challenged through litigation.