Existential threat: ICJ warns on climate change
On Wednesday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that countries affected by climate change are eligible for compensation, describing global warming as an "existential threat."
The United Nations' highest judicial authority affirmed that access to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is a human right.
Japanese judge Yuji Iwasawa, President of the Court, said, 'it has concluded that the consequences of climate change are severe and profound. They cause harm to both natural ecosystems and populations,' confirming that the states have strict obligations to protect climate systems.
Iwasawa warned that the effects of global warming will also impact human rights, stressing that it 'could severely undermine the enjoyment of certain human rights, including the right to life.'
His remarks came during the reading of excerpts from an expert report consisting of several hundred pages, for what is considered the most significant case ever reviewed by the ICJ.
The United Nations tasked the Court's fifteen judges with answering two questions, regarding the obligations of states to protect the Earth from gas emissions—primarily resulting from the consumption of oil, coal, and gas—and the legal consequences for states whose emissions have caused environmental harm.
'The failure to protect the planet from the effects of climate change may amount to a violation of international law,' the ICJ stated.
Small nations are demanding compensation from historically high-polluting states, including the United States and India—an appeal that most wealthy countries reject. However, the advisory opinions issued by the ICJ are non-binding, and critics argue that major polluters will disregard them.
Although the Court's opinion is advisory and not enforceable, it may still have influence and contribute to advancing climate justice by encouraging legislation and judicial action around the world.
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