U.N. court says polluters can be held responsible for greenhouse gas emissions

The Republic of Vanuatu, a South Pacific island nation of 320,000 people, has led a growing effort since 2021 to compel the United Nations to answer one of the most crucial legal questions related to climate change: Can polluters be held legally accountable for the harm they've caused as a result of releasing large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere?

The short answer is: yes. Fifteen judges who make up the International Court of Justice, located at The Hague in the Netherlands, issued a unanimous advisory opinion saying countries "have a duty to prevent significant harm to the environment by acting with due diligence and to use all means at their disposal to prevent activities carried out within their jurisdiction or control from causing significant harm to the climate system and other parts of the environment."

The court further stated that existing environmental treaties, international human rights law, and participation in the United Nations further compels countries to do everything possible to protect the climate. Any wrongful act that violates these agreements must be immediately stopped, followed by "full reparations" and compensation made to the injured parties.