All articles tagged with #climate justice
In 2025, significant legal victories have been achieved worldwide in climate justice, including rulings against fossil fuel projects, greenwashing lawsuits, landmark international court opinions, and policy changes aimed at reducing emissions and protecting the climate, marking a decade of evolving legal efforts to combat climate change.
The article highlights the resilience and impact of grassroots climate justice movements worldwide, emphasizing recent victories like the first-ever just transition mechanism at Cop30, regional fossil fuel phaseout initiatives, and international legal rulings that hold governments accountable, all driven by community-led efforts and Indigenous knowledge, offering hope amid ongoing climate chaos.
COP30 in Brazil emphasizes immediate implementation of climate commitments over negotiations, focusing on issues like deforestation, fossil fuel phase-out, and climate justice, amid global challenges and geopolitical tensions.
The ICJ's landmark 2025 decision legally binds all states to address the climate crisis, emphasizing the urgent need for climate action, especially from wealthy nations, and could influence negotiations at COP30 by setting a legal benchmark for emission reductions and fossil fuel regulation, while also bolstering climate justice and accountability efforts worldwide.
Hurricane Melissa caused unprecedented destruction in the Caribbean, especially Jamaica, highlighting the region's vulnerability to climate change, which is intensifying storms. The article discusses the impact on communities, the psychological toll, and the urgent need for climate justice, reparations, and future-proofing efforts, with regional and international calls for support and action.
Billie Eilish, during an award ceremony, urged billionaires to use their wealth for good causes, emphasizing the need for empathy and support for those in need, especially amid global challenges. She announced her tour's proceeds will support environmental and social justice organizations and called out the wealthy to give more to help address societal issues.
Campaigners attribute the withdrawal of several celebrities from a British Museum fundraising event to pressure over its ties to BP and companies linked to Israel's actions in Gaza. The museum denies these connections, while critics highlight the event's controversial sponsors and its impact on cultural and ethical standards.
A landmark UN court ruling at the International Court of Justice allows countries to sue each other over climate change damages, recognizing the right to seek compensation for climate-related harm, especially for vulnerable nations, though the decision is advisory and the issue of damages remains uncertain.
The International Court of Justice is delivering a historic advisory opinion on climate change, emphasizing its status as an urgent and existential threat caused by human activities, with potential implications for international legal obligations and accountability for polluters.
A group of Pacific Island students, led by Cynthia Houniuhi, initiated the largest climate case in history by petitioning the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on states' legal obligations to combat climate change, mobilizing global support and raising awareness about climate justice, especially for vulnerable communities. The case highlights the role of youth activism and international law in addressing climate threats, with the ICJ's upcoming opinion expected to influence future legal and diplomatic actions.
Pakistan faces a severe climate crisis marked by deadly floods and extreme weather, which its officials describe as a 'crisis of injustice' due to unequal global green funding and insufficient international aid, despite the country's significant vulnerability and responsibility for a small share of global emissions.
Researchers have found that the carbon emissions generated during the first two months of the Gaza war exceeded the annual carbon footprint of over 20 climate-vulnerable nations, with U.S. cargo planes flying military supplies to Israel accounting for nearly half of the emissions. The destruction of renewable energy projects in Gaza has further exacerbated the climate crisis, impacting water and food security, as well as the health sector. The targeting of water and food supplies has been cited as evidence of genocidal intent, and the long-term climate impacts of war need to be considered alongside the immediate environmental destruction.
Greta Thunberg criticized the COP28 climate deal, calling it vague and full of loopholes that won't solve the climate crisis. She displayed a Palestinian flag and held a "Free Palestine" sign during her weekly protest in Stockholm, linking the Palestinian cause with climate change. Thunberg emphasized the need for immediate emission cuts and binding commitments from major contributors to finance adaptation and a just transition. Her actions have drawn criticism in Israel, where she has been accused of disregarding the lives lost in the Hamas massacre and supporting anti-Israel sentiments.
Protests at the COP28 summit in Dubai were met with strict restrictions on speech and expression, leading to a "shocking level of censorship," according to activists. Demonstrators were not allowed to hold signs with their names or go beyond the U.N.-governed Blue Zone. Calls for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict were also limited in their wording. Despite the restrictions, activists protested for a cease-fire in Gaza and climate justice, calling the action historic due to its size. Many climate activists believe that the same causes contribute to both the climate crisis and human rights issues.
Protests at the COP28 summit in Dubai faced severe restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly, and association, with activists unable to hold signs with their names or mention specific states involved in conflicts. Despite the limitations, demonstrators called for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and highlighted the link between Indigenous rights, climate justice, and Palestinian rights. The Emirati government did not comment on individual cases but stated that peaceful assemblies in designated areas were welcomed. The protests also targeted OPEC's stand over a leaked letter opposing the inclusion of a phase-down of fossil fuels in the summit's text.