Fiji, July 24 -- Six years ago, a group of 27 University of the South Pacific law students in Vanuatu asked what many believed was an impossible question.

Could some of the world's smallest island nations persuade the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to clarify what international law requires countries to do about climate change?

On 23 July 2025, the world's highest court answered them unanimously.

The campaign, launched by Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change (PISFCC), has since become one of the Pacific's most significant diplomatic achievements, resulting in a landmark ICJ Advisory Opinion that legal experts say has reshaped international climate law.

But for those who started it, the journey began with nothing more...