The United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion in response to the unprecedented climate crisis, emphasizing the need for states to take decisive action to protect the planet from further environmental damage. The ruling, issued at the Hague on July 23, 2025, draws significant legal implications, particularly regarding international obligations and the role of states in addressing climate change. The ICJ interpretsatures to establish that global warming is not merely an environmental challenge but a pressing existential risk, marking a shift in international justice.
This case is a concrete example of a situation where states that have already taken formal action untreated the environmental crisis as a loss of human rights. At its root, the ICJ describes climate change as a
