The United Nations General Assembly on May 20 adopted a resolution reinforcing states’ obligations to combat climate change, a long-awaited move toned down under pressure from major greenhouse gas emitters.
The General Assembly, driven by Pacific island nation Vanuatu, previously asked the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on states’ responsibility to honor their climate commitments.
The opinion issued last summer exceeded the expectations of climate advocates with the court ruling it was “unlawful” for countries to neglect their climate commitments, opening the door to “reparations” for affected countries.
“The states and peoples bearing the heaviest burden are very often those who contributed least to the problem,” said Odo Tevi, Vanuatu’s ambassador to the U.N., ahead of the vote.
“We are aware that some would prefer this assembly to say less or nothing at all. The harm is real, and it is already here.”
The vote won 141 votes in favor and only eight against, uniting the United States, Russia and Iran which are all major gas and oil exporters and sought to strike down the initiative.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised the move in a statement on May 20, commending the leadership of island leaders and “the young people whose moral clarity helped bring the world to this moment.”
“This is a powerful affirmation of international law, climate justice, science, and the responsibility of states to protect people from the escalating climate crisis,” Guterres said.
