On climate change, the international court of justice faces a pivotal choice

The international court of justice ( ICJ ) is considering an advisory opinion on the obligations of states concerning climate change.

Over the next two weeks , the court will hear statements from 98 countries.

Climate change and ecosystem degradation can, of course, violate a wide range of human rights.

If the ICJ were to legally clarify that states do have climate obligations that go beyond the Paris agreement, that would represent a significant step forward in international law.

Instead, it can become an intergenerational space where vibrant social movements can also contribute to transformative international law. If the ICJ does take a preventive and systemic approach, it would be a turning point for global intergenerational and interspecies justice and peace. The world now waits to see whether the court will seize this critical opportunity. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Provided by The ConversationThis story was originally published on Phys.org . Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest sci-tech news updates..