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The world’s highest court has begun hearing evidence in a landmark case that could clarify governments’ legal responsibilities on climate change.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague will hear testimony from nearly 100 countries, including the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, which have launched efforts to obtain a legal opinion.
The hearing will seek to answer key questions about what countries should do to fight climate change and, critically, what they should do to repair the damage associated with rising temperatures.
While the result is not legally binding, it could give additional weight to climate change cases around the world.
The idea of issuing a legal opinion from the court was originally proposed five years ago by law students in Fiji.
It was then picked up by Vanuatu, an island nation with bitter experience of the effects of rising temperatures and sea levels.
Last year, nearly 80 percent of the population was directly affected by the twin storms.
The extent of the damage forced the government to declare a six-month state of emergency.
Under pressure from Vanuatu and many other nations, the UN General Assembly referred two important climate questions to the international judges of the ICJ.
They relate to obligations under international law to protect the Earth’s climate system from pollution by greenhouse gas emissions.
But they also asked the court to decide on the legal consequences of those obligations in cases where states “have caused significant damage to the climate system and other parts of the environment through their actions and omissions.”
Vanuatu will be the first country to give evidence at today’s hearing in the Netherlands.
“We are on the front lines of the impacts of climate change,” Vanuatu’s special envoy, Ralph Ragnano, told reporters before the hearing.
“Our call for an advisory opinion from the ICJ on climate change comes at a critical moment… that clarifies international legal obligations for environmental action.”
Although the court’s decision is non-binding, its outcome could be used in other legal cases where small island states seek financial compensation from the developed world for damage and loss resulting from historical emissions of planet-warming gases. Asking for compensation. .
The court case comes just a week after the conclusion of the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan.
A decision by the rich world to provide $300 billion a year in climate finance until 2035 sparked anger among developing countries, who argued it was grossly inadequate for their needs.
In The Hague, the court will hear from several countries, including the United States and China, as well as representatives from the oil-producing group OPEC.
The hearing will continue until December 13, with the court’s opinion expected in 2025.
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