SACHA PFEIFFER, HOST:
A top United Nations court has ruled that under international law, nations have a duty to act on climate change, and if they don't, they could be held responsible. What effect could that decision have on countries worldwide? Lauren Sommer from NPR's climate desk explains.
LAUREN SOMMER, BYLINE: The case was championed by the tiny island nation of Vanuatu. Rising sea levels are especially dangerous when you're a low-lying island. Climate Minister Ralph Regenvanu told the International Court of Justice in December that for his nation, the case is about an existential threat.
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RALPH REGENVANU: The outcome of these proceedings will reverberate across generations, determining the fate of nations like mine and the future of our planet.
SOMMER: Many smaller countries testified that they're suffering the impacts of climate change, even though they did little to cause the problem. Most of the emissions from burning fossil fuels which heat up the planet have been produced by the European Union and countries like the U.S. and China.
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REGENVANU: We look to the court for recognition that the conduct which has already caused immense harm to my people and so many others is unlawful, that it must cease and that its consequences must be repaired.
SOMMER: This week, the judges agreed and ruled that countries have a duty to address climate change because it infringes on human rights. They also ruled that countries that don't act may have to pay for the damages from climate change. That doesn't mean the U.S. is on the hook, though.
MARIA ANTONIA TIGRE: Can the U.S. be sued before the International Court of Justice? So it's still - the answer's no.
SOMMER: Maria Antonia Tigre is director of global climate change litigation at Columbia Law School. She says the U.S. generally doesn't recognize the authority of the court. On top of that, the court's ruling is advisory, so it's nonbinding for all countries. Still, the decision could have a big impact. Tigre says it could bolster the hundreds of other climate change lawsuits working their way through national courts.
TIGRE: Climate litigation has become a very big strategy for climate activists around the world, and I think it will create this new wave of climate litigation.
SOMMER: Some of those climate activists are hoping this is a turning point. Vanuatu and other countries will take that fight to the international climate change negotiations this November.
Lauren Sommer, NPR News.
(SOUNDBITE OF WE LOST THE SEA'S "A GALLANT GENTLEMAN") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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