NEW YORK, JULY 28, 2025 – On 23 July, the International Court of Justice announced a groundbreaking advisory opinion, signalling to the international community that our collective future, the well-being and safety of all people, and the health of our environment are non-negotiable.
The advisory opinion offers unprecedented legal clarity on the responsibilities of states in protecting the climate system. Drawing from international law established by the Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement, and UNFCCC, the court has made it abundantly clear that the time for political games and inaction is over, and that all states have an inherent and customary duty and obligation to ensure global heating does not exceed 1.5ºC. Simultaneously, it has sketched out what accountability in times of climate degradation must look like, offering comprehensive tools to hold polluters accountable worldwide. The advisory opinion further affirms that states party to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea are legally required to safeguard global environmental commons like the high seas and the atmosphere, creating a much-needed path to protecting our climate systems.
Re-Earth Initiative wants to thank and congratulate Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change (PISFCC) for spearheading this defining victory, and welcomes the ICJ’s advisory opinion on this matter. Niklas Todt, Strategy & Technical Director at Re-Earth Initiative, comments on this historic moment: “The court has today taken the side of the people and the planet. What we already knew was now confirmed by the ICJ: those who knowingly, willingly, and purposefully exude harm can and will be held accountable. The path forward is clear; see you in court.”
This ruling fuels our optimism and serves as a powerful call to action. Just as the ICJ repeatedly emphasised states' obligation to collaborate in the face of this crisis, Re-Earth Initiative, working with our partners, remains committed to empowering those fighting for climate justice and holding those accountable who threaten our collective future. Although the advisory opinion brings a years-long legal proceeding to a close, this marks not an end, but a powerful new beginning for international climate governance.
