World Court: Climate change is ‘urgent and existential threat’

The United Nations’ highest court on Wednesday said countries must address the “urgent and existential threat” of climate change by cooperating to curb emissions, as it delivered an opinion set to determine future environmental litigation.

- Reuters

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) said failure by countries to meet their climate obligations could, in specific cases, lead other states affected by climate change to litigate.

The opinion by the ICJ, also known as the World Court, was immediately welcomed by environmental groups. Legal experts said it was a victory for small island and low-lying states that had asked the court to clarify states’ responsibilities.

Judge Yuji Iwasawa said countries were obliged to comply with the “stringent obligations” placed on them by climate treaties and failure to do so was a breach of international law. “States must cooperate to achieve concrete emission reduction targets,” Iwasawa said, as he read out the court's advisory opinion.