According to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, states that breach their climate protection obligations under international agreements could, under certain circumstances, be held legally accountable. The highest UN court stated that countries taking no or insufficient climate protection measures are violating international law. The island nation of Vanuatu, particularly affected by the climate crisis, described it as a "turning point".
"The failure of a state to take appropriate measures to protect the climate system may constitute an internationally wrongful act," said Court President Yuji Iwasawa when delivering the advisory opinion – commissioned by the UN General Assembly – at the Peace Palace in The Hague.
Regarding demands for reparations from states that emit large quantities of greenhouse gases whilst doing too little to address climate change, the ICJ stated that such matters could only be decided on a case-by-case basis.
Reparations could, for instance, take the form of repairing damage to the infrastructure of an affected country, where this is possible. However, the court also made clear that such proceedings could prove highly complex.
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