UN backs world court climate opinion; US among few to oppose

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AMAZON. People watch drones creating a 3-D display outside the United Nations Headquarters calling attention to the Amazon rainforest and climate change in New York, US, on September 15, 2023.

Eduardo Munoz/Reuters

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the vote, in which 28 countries abstained, underscores that governments are responsible for protecting citizens from the 'escalating climate crisis'

WASHINGTON, DC, USA – The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, May 20, voted 141-8 to adopt a resolution backing a world court opinion that countries have a legal obligation to address climate change, with the world’s biggest historical emitter, the United States, among those opposing it.