UN Summit advances ocean protection, vows to defend seabed
A global oceans summit wrapped up Friday with world leaders taking major steps toward marine protection and vowing a showdown when nations meet to negotiate rules for deep-sea mining next month.
Issued on: 14/06/2025 - RFI
There are four major threats to the ocean's immense ecosystem and they all have one and the same cause: human activities. © RFI
But as a cacophony of ship foghorns sounded the close of the UN Ocean Conference in France, a lack of funding pledges and the total omission of fossil fuels disappointed some observers.
The summit was just the third -- and largest yet -- dedicated entirely to what the United Nations calls an "emergency" in the world's oceans.
More than 60 heads of state and government joined thousands of business leaders, scientists and environmental campaigners over five days in the southern city of Nice.
Treaty tide
There was unanimous praise for efforts to ratify the high seas treaty designed to protect marine life in the 60 percent of oceans that lie beyond national waters.
Some 19 countries formally ratified the pact at Nice, taking the overall tally to 50 -- but 60 nations are needed to bring the treaty into force.
France's oceans envoy, Olivier Poivre d'Arvor, said the numbers would be reached by September and the treaty should take effect by January, 2026.
Olivier Poivre d'Arvor, at a press conference in Nice at the Third UN Ocean Summit, 13 June 2025. © Géraud Bosman-Delzons/RFI
Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance, welcomed the "incredible progress" but urged "all remaining nations to ratify without delay".
The summit sought a collective lift for oceans even as countries brace for tough talks over deep-sea mining in July and a plastic pollution treaty in August.
More than 90 ministers called in Nice for the treaty to enshrine limits on plastic production -- something fiercely opposed by oil-producing nations.
The summit also rallied behind a defence of science and rules-based oversight of common resources -- most notably the unknown depths of the oceans -- in a direct rebuke of US President Donald Trump.
Trump was not present in Nice and rarely mentioned by name, but his shadow loomed as leaders thundered against his unilateral push to mine the ocean floor for nickel and minerals.
Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance, welcomed the "incredible progress" but urged "all remaining nations to ratify without delay".
The summit sought a collective lift for oceans even as countries brace for tough talks over deep-sea mining in July and a plastic pollution treaty in August.
More than 90 ministers called in Nice for the treaty to enshrine limits on plastic production -- something fiercely opposed by oil-producing nations.
The summit also rallied behind a defence of science and rules-based oversight of common resources -- most notably the unknown depths of the oceans -- in a direct rebuke of US President Donald Trump.
Trump was not present in Nice and rarely mentioned by name, but his shadow loomed as leaders thundered against his unilateral push to mine the ocean floor for nickel and minerals.
Seabed row
France and like-minded countries vowed to block any effort to permit deep-sea exploration at negotiations over a mining code at the International Seabed Authority next month, said Poivre d'Arvor.
"Nobody knows what is there in the deep sea... you cannot launch recklessly down this path," he said in a closing address.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged caution, warning against turning the deep sea into "the wild west".
Leaders "made it unmistakably clear: deep-sea mining is one of the biggest threats facing our ocean, and the world is saying no", said Sofia Tsenikli from the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition.
But for all the rhetoric, a global alliance opposed to deep-sea mining only attracted four new members at Nice, rising to 37 nations.
Missing billions
Greece, Samoa and Colombia were among 14 nations who unveiled plans for vast new marine protected areas, taking the share of the world's oceans under conservation to more than 10 percent.
Some also announced restrictions on bottom trawling, a destructive fishing method captured in grisly detail in a new David Attenborough documentary.
Activists had pushed for a total ban on this kind of trawling, which uses heavy weighted nets dragged across the ocean floor.
The Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise heads out to sea on August 31, 2022, loaded with the boulders of Portland limestone to disrupt bottom-trawling in protected areas around the Uk coastline. AFP - QUENTIN TYBERGHIEN
Developing nations hoping their larger and wealthier counterparts would open the chequebook in Nice were disappointed.
Small island nations in particular have long complained they lack the finances required to build seawalls against rising tides and protect their waters from illegal fishers.
While private donors pledged around 8.7 billion euros ($10 billion) over the next five years, the UN says $175 billion a year is needed for sustainable ocean development.
Fossil fuels -- the main driver of climate change, ocean warming and the acidification of the seas -- were notably absent for a summit dedicated to marine protection.
"Ignoring the imperative of phasing out offshore oil and gas is not just an injustice: it is inadmissible," said Bruna Campos from the Center for International Environmental Law.
The summit closed with the unanimous adoption of a political statement, negotiated over many months, that contained no mention of coal, oil and gas.
"We must all reckon with the reality that you cannot protect the ocean without confronting the biggest root cause bringing it to the breaking point," former US special climate envoy John Kerry said in a statement.
(With newswires)
Developing nations hoping their larger and wealthier counterparts would open the chequebook in Nice were disappointed.
Small island nations in particular have long complained they lack the finances required to build seawalls against rising tides and protect their waters from illegal fishers.
While private donors pledged around 8.7 billion euros ($10 billion) over the next five years, the UN says $175 billion a year is needed for sustainable ocean development.
Fossil fuels -- the main driver of climate change, ocean warming and the acidification of the seas -- were notably absent for a summit dedicated to marine protection.
"Ignoring the imperative of phasing out offshore oil and gas is not just an injustice: it is inadmissible," said Bruna Campos from the Center for International Environmental Law.
The summit closed with the unanimous adoption of a political statement, negotiated over many months, that contained no mention of coal, oil and gas.
"We must all reckon with the reality that you cannot protect the ocean without confronting the biggest root cause bringing it to the breaking point," former US special climate envoy John Kerry said in a statement.
(With newswires)
Nations vow to cut shipping noise as sea life struggles to be heard
Marine mammals struggling to feed their young are abandoning key habitats as underwater noise from human activity grows louder – a threat that's now been recognised by dozens of countries in an international push for quieter oceans.
13/06/2025 - RFI
By: Amanda Morrow
At the UN Ocean Conference in Nice this week, 37 countries led by Canada and Panama signed the first global declaration devoted solely to reducing human-caused ocean noise.
The effort targets the growing din from ships and industrial activity that is disturbing marine life around the world.
“We’re aware of about 130 different marine animals that are negatively impacted by underwater noise,” Mollie Anderson, senior campaign strategist at Canadian NGO Oceans North, told RFI in Nice.
“In some instances, they’re leaving areas altogether where noise is sustained and consistent.”
Sound travels more than four times faster in saltwater than in air, reaching vast distances and interfering with how marine animals communicate, hunt and navigate.
Arctic under pressure
The problem is especially acute in the Arctic, where melting sea ice is opening new shipping lanes in waters that were once among the quietest in the world.
“In the Northwest Passage alone, there’s been a 30 percent increase in ship traffic since 2016,” Anderson explained. “That is having a significant impact on the marine ecosystem in the Arctic.”
Species like belugas and narwhals, which rely on sound to survive, are already changing their behaviour.
“These specied are having a hard time communicating with each other, performing bottom dives and other essential functions to feed themselves and to take care of their babies,” she said.
The disruption is not only ecological – it’s also affecting people. As noise drives marine mammals away from their usual habitats, indigenous communities are finding it harder to hunt the animals they have long depended on.
“Many of our Indigenous people, particularly Inuit in the Canadian Arctic, are reliant on marine mammals for food security and cultural continuity,” Anderson said.
Simple steps, urgent need
The new declaration – known as the High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean – is voluntary, but calls for quieter ship design, noise limits in marine protected areas and shared access to sound-monitoring technology.
It also aims to help countries with fewer resources to monitor and manage ocean noise.
Some of the most effective changes are also the simplest, Anderson said. “Even a reduction in speed of a few knots can make a big decibel difference.”
Other measures include re-routing ships away from sensitive zones, using more efficient propellers and switching to electric or hybrid engines.
In a recent pilot project, Oceans North measured the sound of an electric vessel using hydrophones – underwater microphones – and found it was significantly quieter than a conventional ship.
From promises to policy
While some ports have introduced voluntary guidelines, regulation is needed. “There’s lots of voluntary measures that procurement and ports can adopt, but there’s no real regulation right now,” Anderson said.
“We regulate the roads that we drive on. I don’t see why it should be different for ships in certain areas. They should go faster or slower ... That just seems like practical and good public policy to me.”
Panama Environment Minister Juan Carlos Navarro said the issue has been “sidelined in global environmental discourse” for too long.
The coalition, he said, signals a commitment to “act decisively" to protect marine biodiversity from what he called an "invisible yet powerful threat".
Marine mammals struggling to feed their young are abandoning key habitats as underwater noise from human activity grows louder – a threat that's now been recognised by dozens of countries in an international push for quieter oceans.
13/06/2025 - RFI
Species like belugas and narwhals, which rely on sound to survive, are changing their behaviour as oceans grow louder. © OceanCare
By: Amanda Morrow
At the UN Ocean Conference in Nice this week, 37 countries led by Canada and Panama signed the first global declaration devoted solely to reducing human-caused ocean noise.
The effort targets the growing din from ships and industrial activity that is disturbing marine life around the world.
“We’re aware of about 130 different marine animals that are negatively impacted by underwater noise,” Mollie Anderson, senior campaign strategist at Canadian NGO Oceans North, told RFI in Nice.
“In some instances, they’re leaving areas altogether where noise is sustained and consistent.”
Sound travels more than four times faster in saltwater than in air, reaching vast distances and interfering with how marine animals communicate, hunt and navigate.
07:21
Arctic under pressure
The problem is especially acute in the Arctic, where melting sea ice is opening new shipping lanes in waters that were once among the quietest in the world.
“In the Northwest Passage alone, there’s been a 30 percent increase in ship traffic since 2016,” Anderson explained. “That is having a significant impact on the marine ecosystem in the Arctic.”
Species like belugas and narwhals, which rely on sound to survive, are already changing their behaviour.
“These specied are having a hard time communicating with each other, performing bottom dives and other essential functions to feed themselves and to take care of their babies,” she said.
The disruption is not only ecological – it’s also affecting people. As noise drives marine mammals away from their usual habitats, indigenous communities are finding it harder to hunt the animals they have long depended on.
“Many of our Indigenous people, particularly Inuit in the Canadian Arctic, are reliant on marine mammals for food security and cultural continuity,” Anderson said.
Simple steps, urgent need
The new declaration – known as the High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean – is voluntary, but calls for quieter ship design, noise limits in marine protected areas and shared access to sound-monitoring technology.
It also aims to help countries with fewer resources to monitor and manage ocean noise.
Some of the most effective changes are also the simplest, Anderson said. “Even a reduction in speed of a few knots can make a big decibel difference.”
Other measures include re-routing ships away from sensitive zones, using more efficient propellers and switching to electric or hybrid engines.
In a recent pilot project, Oceans North measured the sound of an electric vessel using hydrophones – underwater microphones – and found it was significantly quieter than a conventional ship.
Ocean’s survival hinges on finding the billions needed to save it
From promises to policy
While some ports have introduced voluntary guidelines, regulation is needed. “There’s lots of voluntary measures that procurement and ports can adopt, but there’s no real regulation right now,” Anderson said.
“We regulate the roads that we drive on. I don’t see why it should be different for ships in certain areas. They should go faster or slower ... That just seems like practical and good public policy to me.”
Panama Environment Minister Juan Carlos Navarro said the issue has been “sidelined in global environmental discourse” for too long.
The coalition, he said, signals a commitment to “act decisively" to protect marine biodiversity from what he called an "invisible yet powerful threat".
UN ocean summit ends with boost for marine conservation, no mention of fossil fuels
Nice (France) (AFP) – The UN Ocean Conference in the southern French city of Nice concludes this Friday with countries taking steps towards marine protection and declaring a battle over deep sea-mining, but slammed for leaving fossil fuels off the agenda – the key driver of ocean warming. Nations hoping for new financial pledges to help with battling rising sea levels and overfishing were also left disappointed.
Treaty tide
Activists unanimously praised concrete progress toward ratifying a landmark pact to protect marine life in the 60 percent of oceans that lie beyond national waters.
"This week's ratifications of the high seas treaty mark a major milestone for ocean action," said Rebecca Hubbard from the High Seas Alliance.
Some 19 countries formally ratified the treaty at Nice, taking the overall tally to 50. Sixty nations are needed to enact the treaty.
France's special envoy for the oceans, Olivier Poivre d'Arvor, said the numbers would be ready in time for a formal ratification ceremony in September in New York.
The treaty should then take effect in January 2026, he added.
Plastic push
The conference sought to rally global action on marine protection as countries prepare to tussle over global rules for deep-sea mining in July and a plastics treaty in August.
More than 90 ministers issued a symbolic call in Nice for the hard-fought plastics treaty to contain limits on consumption and production of new plastics, something opposed by oil-producing nations.
Elephant in the room
The summit rallied a defence of science and rules-based oversight of common resources – most notably the unknown depths of the oceans – in a direct rebuke of US President Donald Trump.
Trump was not present in Nice and rarely mentioned by name but his spectre loomed large as leaders backed the global multilateralism he has spurned.
In particular, leaders condemned Trump's push to fast-track seabed mining, vowing to resist his unilateral efforts to exploit the ocean floor.
Seabed row
Leaders "made it unmistakably clear: deep-sea mining is one of the biggest threats facing our ocean, and the world is saying no", said Sofia Tsenikli from the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition.
French President Emmanuel Macron called it "madness" while Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva warned against a "predatory" race for critical minerals.
But a global alliance opposed to deep-sea mining, and spearheaded by France, only attracted four new members during the summit, taking the total to 37 nations.
Poivre d'Arvor said the alliance would flatly reject any call at a meeting of the International Seabed Authority next month to permit deep-sea exploration.
The authority, backed by the UN, has 169 member states.
Overfishing
Many nations took the opportunity to unveil plans to create vast new marine protected areas and restrict bottom trawling, which was recently captured in grisly detail in a new David Attenborough documentary.
Activists had wanted countries to go further, advocating for a total ban on the destructive fishing method that sees heavy nets dragged across the ocean floor.
Missing millions
Some 8.7 billion euros ($10 billion) was committed over the next five years by philanthropists and private investors for the sustainable development of ocean economies.
But pledges were less forthcoming from wealthy governments, with France announcing two million euros for climate adaptation in Pacific Island nations.
Flat finish
The summit will close later Friday with a joint political statement, negotiated over many months between nations, that critics slammed for omitting any reference to fossil fuels – the key driver of ocean warming.
Laurence Tubiana, CEO at the European Climate Foundation, said Nice showed global co-operation was still possible "but let's not confuse signatures with solutions".
"No communiqué ever cooled a marine heatwave," she said.
Former US special climate envoy John Kerry, who was present in Nice, said in a statement that it was impossible to "protect the ocean without confronting the biggest root cause bringing it to the breaking point: the pollution from unabated fossil fuels pumped into the atmosphere".
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Nice (France) (AFP) – The UN Ocean Conference in the southern French city of Nice concludes this Friday with countries taking steps towards marine protection and declaring a battle over deep sea-mining, but slammed for leaving fossil fuels off the agenda – the key driver of ocean warming. Nations hoping for new financial pledges to help with battling rising sea levels and overfishing were also left disappointed.
13/06/2025 -
By: FRANCE 24
By: FRANCE 24
France is hosting world leaders scientists, business leaders and marine conservationists for a global oceans summit. © Valéry Hache, AFP
A global oceans summit concludes Friday with nations taking major steps towards marine protection and vowing a showdown over deep-sea mining, but criticised for leaving fossil fuels off the agenda.
Countries hoping for new financial pledges to assist with combating rising seas and overfishing were also left disappointed at the UN Ocean Conference in France.
More than 60 heads of state and government joined thousands of business leaders, scientists and environmental campaigners over five days in the southern city of Nice.
The United Nations says the world's oceans are facing an "emergency" and the Nice gathering was just the third – and the largest yet – dedicated entirely to the seas.
A global oceans summit concludes Friday with nations taking major steps towards marine protection and vowing a showdown over deep-sea mining, but criticised for leaving fossil fuels off the agenda.
Countries hoping for new financial pledges to assist with combating rising seas and overfishing were also left disappointed at the UN Ocean Conference in France.
More than 60 heads of state and government joined thousands of business leaders, scientists and environmental campaigners over five days in the southern city of Nice.
The United Nations says the world's oceans are facing an "emergency" and the Nice gathering was just the third – and the largest yet – dedicated entirely to the seas.
Treaty tide
Activists unanimously praised concrete progress toward ratifying a landmark pact to protect marine life in the 60 percent of oceans that lie beyond national waters.
"This week's ratifications of the high seas treaty mark a major milestone for ocean action," said Rebecca Hubbard from the High Seas Alliance.
Some 19 countries formally ratified the treaty at Nice, taking the overall tally to 50. Sixty nations are needed to enact the treaty.
France's special envoy for the oceans, Olivier Poivre d'Arvor, said the numbers would be ready in time for a formal ratification ceremony in September in New York.
The treaty should then take effect in January 2026, he added.
Plastic push
The conference sought to rally global action on marine protection as countries prepare to tussle over global rules for deep-sea mining in July and a plastics treaty in August.
More than 90 ministers issued a symbolic call in Nice for the hard-fought plastics treaty to contain limits on consumption and production of new plastics, something opposed by oil-producing nations.
Elephant in the room
The summit rallied a defence of science and rules-based oversight of common resources – most notably the unknown depths of the oceans – in a direct rebuke of US President Donald Trump.
Trump was not present in Nice and rarely mentioned by name but his spectre loomed large as leaders backed the global multilateralism he has spurned.
In particular, leaders condemned Trump's push to fast-track seabed mining, vowing to resist his unilateral efforts to exploit the ocean floor.
Seabed row
Leaders "made it unmistakably clear: deep-sea mining is one of the biggest threats facing our ocean, and the world is saying no", said Sofia Tsenikli from the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition.
French President Emmanuel Macron called it "madness" while Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva warned against a "predatory" race for critical minerals.
But a global alliance opposed to deep-sea mining, and spearheaded by France, only attracted four new members during the summit, taking the total to 37 nations.
Poivre d'Arvor said the alliance would flatly reject any call at a meeting of the International Seabed Authority next month to permit deep-sea exploration.
The authority, backed by the UN, has 169 member states.
Overfishing
Many nations took the opportunity to unveil plans to create vast new marine protected areas and restrict bottom trawling, which was recently captured in grisly detail in a new David Attenborough documentary.
Activists had wanted countries to go further, advocating for a total ban on the destructive fishing method that sees heavy nets dragged across the ocean floor.
Missing millions
Some 8.7 billion euros ($10 billion) was committed over the next five years by philanthropists and private investors for the sustainable development of ocean economies.
But pledges were less forthcoming from wealthy governments, with France announcing two million euros for climate adaptation in Pacific Island nations.
Flat finish
The summit will close later Friday with a joint political statement, negotiated over many months between nations, that critics slammed for omitting any reference to fossil fuels – the key driver of ocean warming.
Laurence Tubiana, CEO at the European Climate Foundation, said Nice showed global co-operation was still possible "but let's not confuse signatures with solutions".
"No communiqué ever cooled a marine heatwave," she said.
Former US special climate envoy John Kerry, who was present in Nice, said in a statement that it was impossible to "protect the ocean without confronting the biggest root cause bringing it to the breaking point: the pollution from unabated fossil fuels pumped into the atmosphere".
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
‘Survival’ at stake as Vanuatu uses ocean summit to press ICJ climate case
Vanuatu is using this week's UN Ocean Conference in Nice to demand climate justice ahead of a landmark legal opinion from the world's top court – with climate minister Ralph Regenvanu telling RFI that faster action to hold big polluters accountable is "a matter of survival" for his people.
Issued on: 12/06/2025 - RFI
Defining the consequences
At issue is whether countries have violated existing international laws – not just climate treaties, but also human rights law, the law of the sea and key environmental principles such as the duty to prevent harm and act with due diligence.
“Climate change is not occurring in a legal vacuum,” Aguon explained. “It is governed by a wide body of international law.”
The court has been asked not only to clarify those obligations, but also to outline the consequences when they’re breached.
“This case does, in fact, represent a watershed moment in legal accountability for climate change,” Aguon said.
“We can move into a new era of binding obligations and the consequences for failure to take those obligations seriously.”
Asked whether Vanuatu is seeking "reparations" for the damage already done, Regenvanu emphasised that the case is about climate justice – holding those who caused the crisis responsible for fixing it.
“Justice means if you cause a problem, you are responsible for dealing with it and making up for it,” Regenvanu said. “And I think reparations is a word you could use. It is to do with fixing the problem you created.”
A strong opinion delivered by the ICJ could open the door to a new wave of legal challenges and lay the groundwork for countries like Vanuatu to pursue compensation through national or regional courts.
“It becomes a legal precedent that can be used in any court. So even a municipal court, a city court... we can expect to see greater climate action being achieved through cases that are won on the back of what this court says,” Regenvanu explained.
The ICJ heard arguments on the case in December, with 99 countries and more than a dozen organisations taking part – the largest number ever.
Vanuatu is using this week's UN Ocean Conference in Nice to demand climate justice ahead of a landmark legal opinion from the world's top court – with climate minister Ralph Regenvanu telling RFI that faster action to hold big polluters accountable is "a matter of survival" for his people.
Issued on: 12/06/2025 - RFI
Vanuatu Climate Minister Ralph Regenvanu speaks to RFI during the UN Ocean Conference in Nice on Wednesday 11 June 2025. His country is calling for faster climate action and legal accountability. © Amanda Morrow / RFI
By:Amanda Morrow
The Pacific island nation is asking the International Court of Justice to clarify what countries are legally required to do to tackle climate change – and what the consequences should be when they fail.
“We want a 1.5 aligned world... because the science tells us that’s what we need to stay within the livable bounds for our people,” said Regenvanu.
The ICJ opinion, expected as early as next month, was requested by the UN General Assembly and backed by more than 130 countries.
While not legally binding, it stands to carry significant weight and set a precedent for future legal action, including in national courts.
Legal pressure, not pledges
Julian Aguon, Vanuatu’s legal counsel for the case, said it would be a mistake to dismiss the opinion simply because it is not enforceable.
“Even if it’s not a binding judgment, the right way to think about it is that it’s authoritative legal guidance for all countries,” Aguon said.
“Unlike a ruling that only applies to two parties, this opinion will clarify the obligations of every state under international law.”
Vanuatu is one of the world’s most climate-exposed nations. Sea levels in parts of the Pacific are rising faster than the global average of 4.3 centimetres per decade, and warming oceans are causing widespread coral bleaching, acidification and biodiversity loss.
“The single greatest cause of the destruction that’s happening in the oceans... is the heating of the ocean, which is caused by greenhouse gas emissions,” Regenvanu said.
“So it’s the single greatest threat to the ocean right now.”
The ICJ case builds on long-standing frustration with slow progress at climate summits.
“We’ve been involved in the UNFCCC process, the COPs, for like 30 years. And we’re not seeing the right ambition and change in the international community," Regenvanu said.
"We are looking to speed that up, to raise that ambition, to get things to happen faster.”
The Pacific island nation is asking the International Court of Justice to clarify what countries are legally required to do to tackle climate change – and what the consequences should be when they fail.
“We want a 1.5 aligned world... because the science tells us that’s what we need to stay within the livable bounds for our people,” said Regenvanu.
The ICJ opinion, expected as early as next month, was requested by the UN General Assembly and backed by more than 130 countries.
While not legally binding, it stands to carry significant weight and set a precedent for future legal action, including in national courts.
Legal pressure, not pledges
Julian Aguon, Vanuatu’s legal counsel for the case, said it would be a mistake to dismiss the opinion simply because it is not enforceable.
“Even if it’s not a binding judgment, the right way to think about it is that it’s authoritative legal guidance for all countries,” Aguon said.
“Unlike a ruling that only applies to two parties, this opinion will clarify the obligations of every state under international law.”
Vanuatu is one of the world’s most climate-exposed nations. Sea levels in parts of the Pacific are rising faster than the global average of 4.3 centimetres per decade, and warming oceans are causing widespread coral bleaching, acidification and biodiversity loss.
“The single greatest cause of the destruction that’s happening in the oceans... is the heating of the ocean, which is caused by greenhouse gas emissions,” Regenvanu said.
“So it’s the single greatest threat to the ocean right now.”
The ICJ case builds on long-standing frustration with slow progress at climate summits.
“We’ve been involved in the UNFCCC process, the COPs, for like 30 years. And we’re not seeing the right ambition and change in the international community," Regenvanu said.
"We are looking to speed that up, to raise that ambition, to get things to happen faster.”
Children play on the beach on Efate Island, Vanuatu. The country is pushing for climate accountability through a landmark case it has brought to the International Court of Justice. AP - Nick Perry
Defining the consequences
At issue is whether countries have violated existing international laws – not just climate treaties, but also human rights law, the law of the sea and key environmental principles such as the duty to prevent harm and act with due diligence.
“Climate change is not occurring in a legal vacuum,” Aguon explained. “It is governed by a wide body of international law.”
The court has been asked not only to clarify those obligations, but also to outline the consequences when they’re breached.
“This case does, in fact, represent a watershed moment in legal accountability for climate change,” Aguon said.
“We can move into a new era of binding obligations and the consequences for failure to take those obligations seriously.”
Asked whether Vanuatu is seeking "reparations" for the damage already done, Regenvanu emphasised that the case is about climate justice – holding those who caused the crisis responsible for fixing it.
“Justice means if you cause a problem, you are responsible for dealing with it and making up for it,” Regenvanu said. “And I think reparations is a word you could use. It is to do with fixing the problem you created.”
A strong opinion delivered by the ICJ could open the door to a new wave of legal challenges and lay the groundwork for countries like Vanuatu to pursue compensation through national or regional courts.
“It becomes a legal precedent that can be used in any court. So even a municipal court, a city court... we can expect to see greater climate action being achieved through cases that are won on the back of what this court says,” Regenvanu explained.
The ICJ heard arguments on the case in December, with 99 countries and more than a dozen organisations taking part – the largest number ever.
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