climate change
taking
to the world’s highest court
We are Pacific Island students whose vision is to live with dignity and without fear of climate change denying us and our children of that freedom.
We are campaigning to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on climate change and human rights.
Our Journey to the ICJ
UNGA Resolution Adopted!
ICJAO Alliance
The Witness Stand
We believe in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of all women and all men, and of all nations, large and small.
The 2018 IPCC report on 1.5 degree warming confirms that unless drastic action is taken globally to reduce greenhouse gas emissions Pacific Islands Countries will cease to exist.
We do not accept this fate. We choose to retain hope, not only that our countries prove resilient, but also that international law and its institutions remain a global beacon of respect for a just and peaceful international order.
We appeal to people everywhere, especially those whose human rights are already being affected by climate change, to join us.
Climate ICJAO Submissions
Countries, particularly in the Global North and high emitting states said that:
1. The Paris Agreement is the only source of legal obligations to protect the climate system under international law.
2. Climate treaties do not impose any binding obligations to undertake mitigation or adaptation measures.
3. Environmental principles such as the transboundary environmental harm that prevents states from harming other states’ environment does not apply to greenhouse gases (GHGs) as they don’t come from a specific source.
4. Human rights law does not directly address climate change, so it does not apply.
5. Legal rights do not extend to future generations.
6. There is no obligation to reduce fossil fuel reliance.
7. States only became aware of the risks of climate change caused by human activities from the late 1980s, so they
cannot be held accountable for conduct before this time.
1. Climate justice requires the court to consider all relevant international laws when determining state obligations
related to climate change.
2. Climate justice requires the ICJ to clarify what the climate treaties require as binding obligations.
3. Climate justice requires the ICJ to reaffirm the principle and clarify that it applies to greenhouse gas emissions
causing climate change.
4. Climate justice requires the ICJ to confirm that the climate crisis affects human rights and States should prevent,
minimise, and remedy human rights violations due to climate change under international human rights law.
5. Currently, environmental law recognises “future generations” in the principle of intergenerational equity.
The ICJ should clarify that State obligations with respect to climate change extend to future generations.
6. Climate Justice requires the ICJ to affirm that fossil fuel production and consumption are the primary drivers of
climate change. As such, states have a duty to phase out fossil fuels, cease actions that harm the climate system
and ensure non-recurrence.
7. Climate Justice requires the ICJ to hold states accountable for the causes and foreseeable consequences of climate change and their legal obligations to take climate action for their responsibility for climate harm.
What Climate Justice Demands:
Oral Hearings
Statement to the ICJ
Cynthia’s
On 02 December, Cynthia Houniuhi (President of PISFCC and founding member) delivered a powerful statement to the ICJ calling for climate justice and the recognition of the principle of intergenerational equity. She highlighted the crucial role played by young people from all over the world and highlighted the urgent need to reign in the climate crisis and hold polluters accountable.
Photo Credit : SPC/Ray CampbellWatch the full statement
Statement to the ICJ
Vishal’s
On 13 December, Vishal Prasad, (Director PISFCC), delivered a compelling statement to the ICJ, urging for climate justice and the acknowledgment of the voices of those directly witnessing the impacts of climate change. The People's Petition was also submitted to the ICJ judges. He also spoke about the important role youth played in decision making, and the need to prioritise the well-being of future generations. He called for urgent action to halt greenhouse gas emissions and hold polluters accountable, asserting that true climate justice can only be achieved by safeguarding the rights and futures of those most vulnerable to the climate crisis.
Photo Credit : SPC/Ray CampbellWatch the full statement
The Climate Justice Gathering is a series of events held in The Hague during the historic #ClimateICJAO hearings.
The Gathering aimed to provide a centralised platform for diverse voices, facilitate collaboration and networking, actively engage young people and frontline communities in the oral proceedings and raise global awareness. This global unity surpassed borders and brought together cultures to amplify a collective demand for climate justice.
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‘This is for the world’s most vulnerable, for all of humanity, and our collective future. This is about what we must save, not what has been lost. This is a campaign to build ambition, not division. This is a campaign to uplift the goals of the Paris Agreement. This is the young generations’ call for justice to the world’s highest court’.
— Bob Loughman
Former Prime Minister, Republic of Vanuatu
