The U.N.'s highest court will decide on the climate obligations of countries

NPR
4m read
What remains of the "Tree of Life" on Sunday, July 20, 2025, is visible off the coast of Efate Island, Vanuatu, after being toppled by cyclones in 2023 and further damaged by an earthquake in 2024.

After years of lobbying by vulnerable island nations, the U.N. asked the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion, a non-binding but important basis for international obligations.

(Image credit: Annika Hammerschlag)

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