UN members reinforce nations’ climate change obligations
The United Nations General Assembly on May 20 adopted a resolution reinforcing states’ obligations to combat climate change, a long-awaited move toned down under pressure from major greenhouse gas emitters.
The General Assembly, driven by Pacific island nation Vanuatu, previously asked the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on states’ responsibility to honor their climate commitments.
The opinion issued last summer exceeded the expectations of climate advocates with the court ruling it was “unlawful” for countries to neglect their climate commitments, opening the door to “reparations” for affected countries.
“The states and peoples bearing the heaviest burden are very often those who contributed least to the problem,” said Odo Tevi, Vanuatu’s ambassador to the U.N., ahead of the vote.
