Fiji, July 24 -- The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has issued a historic advisory opinion that could reshape the global legal landscape for climate action, declaring that States have binding duties under international law to protect the climate system and that a failure to take appropriate measures may constitute an internationally wrongful act.

Delivered under the presidency of Judge Iwasawa Yuji at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the opinion was requested by the United Nations General Assembly (Resolution 77/276), which in 2023 asked the Court to clarify the legal obligations of States in addressing climate change and the consequences for those causing significant harm.

The Court described climate change as "an existential probl...