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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
Environment
RFI

UN court rules countries must treat climate change as an 'existential threat'

Vanuatu's Climate Change Minister Ralph Regenvanu delivers a speech as he attends a demonstration ahead of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) session tasked with issuing the first Advisory Opinion on States' legal obligations to address climate change, in The Hague, on 23 July 2025. AFP - JOHN THYS

The UN's top court on Wednesday ruled climate change an "existential problem of planetary proportions" and said countries had a legal duty to act or face consequences.

The International Court of Justice's (ICJ) advisory opinion is not legally binding but was unanimous and is expected to have major legal ramifications for courts, companies and communities across the world.

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