ICJ weighs legal responsibility for climate change, ‘future of our planet’
Al Jazeera
The International Court of Justice’s 15 judges will consider arguments made by more than 100 countries in a case led by Vanuatu and other Pacific island nations.
Historic hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague have drawn to a close after more than 100 countries and international organisations presented arguments over two weeks on who should bear legal responsibility for the worsening climate crisis.
Spearheading the effort was Vanuatu which, alongside other Pacific island nations, says the climate crisis poses a threat to its very existence.
“It is with a profound sense of urgency and responsibility that I stand before you today,” Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatu’s special envoy for climate change and environment, said as he opened the hearings on December 2.
“The outcome of these proceedings will reverberate across generations, determining the fate of nations like mine and the future of our planet,” he said.
In the two weeks that followed, dozens of countries made similar entreaties, while a handful of major fossil fuel-producing countries argued polluters should not be held responsible.
