World Court to issue climate change opinion on July 23

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THE HAGUE (Reuters) -The top United Nations court will on July 23 issue a nonbinding opinion on countries’ legal obligation to fight climate change, a decision expected to be cited in climate change-driven litigation around the world, the court said on Monday.

The so-called advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, is also expected to address whether large states contributing the most to greenhouse-gas emissions should be liable for damage caused to small island nations.

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued a similar opinion last week finding that its 20 Latin American and Caribbean member states must cooperate to tackle climate change and not take actions that set back environmental protections.

During two weeks of hearings before the World Court in December, wealthy countries of the global north broadly argued that existing climate treaties like the Paris Agreement, which are largely nonbinding, should be the basis for deciding countries’ responsibilities.

Developing nations and small island states bearing the brunt of climate change argued for robust measures to curb emissions and require financial support from wealthy polluting nations.

The World Court’s advisory opinion is part of a global wave of climate litigation as countries, organizations and individuals are increasingly turning to courts for climate action.

While nonbinding, the court’s interpretations of law carry a lot of legal and political weight. Experts say its opinion could set a precedent in climate change-driven lawsuits in courts from Europe to Latin America and beyond.

(Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg; Editing by Charlotte Van Campenhout and Richard Chang)