CIVICUS discusses the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) recent advisory opinion on climate change with Abdul Mufeez Shaheed, campaigner with Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change.
On 23 July, the ICJ issued a landmark advisory opinion affirming that states have binding legal obligations to tackle climate change. This was a civil society victory: the case originated from an initiative by Pacific Island law students and evolved into a successful campaign that challenged governments to take meaningful climate action, establishing crucial legal precedents for climate justice efforts.