Every person has a right to a "clean, healthy and sustainable environment", the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has stated in an advisory opinion. Even though the advisory opinion is not legally binding, it carries significant legal and political weight, says Werner Schroeder, an international law expert at the University of Innsbruck. 

23 July 2025: On this day, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague published the advisory opinion that grants climate protection the status of a human right. It is a milestone in international law and the first time the ICJ has expressed itself so comprehensively on the climate crisis. Read further in the analysis by the University of Innsbruck