Nature, 13 August 2024

Who is legally responsible for climate harms? The world’s top court will now decide

The International Court of Justice will clarify states’ legal responsibility for impacts of climate change. Although non-binding, its opinion will matter for thousands of climate lawsuits.

It bears repeating over and over: the science is not in question. High concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are warming the planet. International law is also clear: under the legally binding Paris climate agreement, nations pledged to keep average temperatures within 1.5 °C of pre-industrial levels. And yet, as emissions continue to increase, global temperature rises will almost certainly exceed this limit.

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