A group of small island nations led by Vanuatu is urging the world’s top court to hold the major greenhouse gas-emitting countries accountable for failing to tackle climate change. The case involves nearly 100 countries and is being heard by 15 judges at the U.N.’s International Court of Justice in the Netherlands. “These ICJ proceedings … mark a historic moment for climate justice with unprecedented participation that reflects the urgency of addressing ongoing climate destruction,” Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh, the lead counsel for Vanuatu and the Melanesian Spearhead Group, a regional subgroup that includes Papua New Guinea, Fiji, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, said at a press briefing. The island nations argue that just a few countries have produced the “vast majority” of historic and current greenhouse gas emissions, yet nations that emit very little, such as Vanuatu, face the brunt of the consequences. They’re seeking the court’s legal opinion on two questions: What are the obligations of governments under international law to protect the planet’s climate system and environment? And what are the legal consequences for countries that have caused significant harm to the climate, environment and people? “Today we find ourselves on the front lines of a crisis we did not create,” Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatu’s special envoy for climate change and the environment, told the ICJ. “The importance of the questions before this Court cannot be overstated.” Vanuatu and others argue that climate-specific treaties, such as the Paris Agreement, aren’t sufficient to tackle climate change. The main emitters have failed…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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