The world’s top court has begun hearing evidence in a landmark case that may clarify the legal obligations of countries in relation to climate change. The International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, will decide governments' responsibilities to future generations.
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00:00Climate justice!
00:01When do we want it?
00:02Now!
00:03Climate protests outside the United Nations' top court in The Hague
00:07as hearings begin, aiming to clarify the obligations of countries to fight global warming.
00:13Climate justice!
00:16Demonstrators here are pushing for concrete action
00:19as international climate summits, including the UN-backed Conference of Parties, or COP,
00:24fail to secure meaningful change.
00:27So we're hoping that this can really be a push, a push forward, a step changer for climate negotiations
00:35so that they say that states have legal obligations that have to align with human rights.
00:40Over two weeks, the International Court of Justice will hear evidence from almost 100 countries
00:45and more than a dozen intergovernmental organizations.
00:49The judges tasked with answering two key questions.
00:53What should countries and organizations be legally obligated to do to fight climate change?
00:58And what are the legal consequences to repair damage already caused?
01:03Some environmental experts argue that the actions of major greenhouse gas emitters
01:07have breached international law and they should face repercussions.
01:12So our hopeful expectation is that the court will recognize this
01:18and articulate the legal consequences of these violations.
01:24And legal consequences of violations of international law are always twofold.
01:30The wrongful conduct, the breaching conduct must cease, it must be put to an end.
01:36And secondly, reparations must be made.
01:39The case was spearheaded by a group of Pacific island nations
01:43who are fighting for their very survival in the face of climate change.
01:47These nations, including Vanuatu, who initiated the effort to get a legal opinion,
01:52bear the brunt of rising sea levels and increasingly severe natural disasters.
01:57They're calling for the world's biggest polluters to be held accountable for their role in global warming
02:02and to help vulnerable nations combat the devastating impact.
02:07The outcome of these proceedings will reverberate across generations,
02:11determining the fate of nations like mine and the future of our planet.
02:16Although the result will not be legally binding,
02:18it will provide a concrete framework for international law.
02:22And with a record lineup of participating countries,
02:25the outcome could give extra weight to climate lawsuits across the globe,
02:29leaving the world's biggest polluters vulnerable to liability.
02:34Ryan Wu and Rosie Grenninger for Taiwan Plus.