The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to adopt a resolution supporting an International Court of Justice (ICJ) opinion that states have legal obligations to address climate change. The non-binding resolution, brought by Pacific island nation Vanuatu and co-sponsored by 90 countries, affirms the court's July 2025 advisory opinion that countries must reduce fossil fuel use and combat global warming.
Key Takeaways
The UN General Assembly adopted a landmark resolution supporting an ICJ opinion that states have legal obligations to address climate change, with 141 votes in favor and only eight against. The US was among those opposing the measure.
- UN adopts non-binding resolution affirming countries' legal obligations to combat climate change
- Resolution urges transition away from fossil fuels by 2050
- US opposes measure alongside Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran, Israel, Yemen, Liberia and Belarus
- Experts suggest resolution could boost climate diplomacy and litigation
UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the vote, calling it a 'powerful affirmation of international law, climate justice, science and the responsibility of states to protect people from the escalating climate crisis.' The resolution urges states to transition away from fossil fuels in an equitable manner by 2050 and phase out inefficient subsidies.
Vanuatu's Prime Minister Jotham Napat hailed the result as marking 'a new chapter' in climate action. Experts suggest the recognition of legal responsibilities could boost climate diplomacy and litigation, though the resolution explicitly avoids attributing blame to specific states.
The US was among eight countries opposing the measure, joining Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran, Israel, Yemen, Liberia and Belarus. Turkey, India, Qatar and Nigeria were among 28 countries that abstained. The Trump administration has removed the US from the Paris climate agreement and pursued policies to boost fossil fuel production.
Vanuatu's UN ambassador Odo Tevi emphasized the importance of the resolution for vulnerable nations facing severe climate impacts. In Tuvalu, more than a third of the population has applied for climate migration visas to Australia as much of the country is projected to be underwater by 2100. Nauru has begun selling passports to generate revenue for potential relocation efforts.
The UN General Assembly rejected four proposed amendments that would have undercut the world court's legal advice on countries' climate obligations, according to a UN press summary reported by Carbon Brief. These amendments were proposed by a group of largely Arab nations and included references to carbon capture and storage as well as changes to the follow-up process.
US President Donald Trump declared 'good riddance' to a very high emissions modelling scenario in a Truth Social post, misleadingly stating that 'the United Nations TOP Climate Committee just admitted that its own projections (RCP8.5) were WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!' This claim was quickly picked up by right-leaning media outlets.
Carbon Brief published a fact-check of Trump's claims, noting that the IPCC does not develop, control or own climate scenarios and has not published anything stating that any climate scenario is 'wrong.' Projections suggest that the world is still on course for between 2.5C and 3C of warming.
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