A ‘crucial moment’ for climate justice is unfolding in The Hague

The tiny Pacific Island of Vanuatu wants the World Court in The Hague to weigh in on states’ legal obligations to fight climate change and take responsibility for their contributions to the warming planet. Here’s what you need to know about this potentially groundbreaking climate case. What are the climate hearings all about? Marathon hearings have been taking place this month at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), known widely as the World Court, in The Hague, the Netherlands, after years of campaigning by climate-vulnerable nations led by the Pacific Island state Vanuatu. The court has been asked to clarify international law with respect to climate change. Vanuatu and other vulnerable nations say they disproportionately suffer the effects of climate change: increasingly intense storms, floods and rising sea levels. They want the wealthy polluting nations most responsible for climate breakdown to be held legally responsible and are pushing for fair financial support and ...