At the COP30 climate summit in Brazil, Pacific Island states are making a familiar plea to keep warming at 1.5°C. But now they have the backing of a legal opinion that has transformed climate action from a moral and political aspiration into an obligation under international law.
Earlier this year, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion rejecting the narrow view that only specific treaties such as the Paris Agreement govern state conduct on climate change.
