The New York TimesThe New York Times

Can nations be sued for weak climate action? We'll soon get an answer

By Somini Sengupta

29 Mar 2023 · 2 min read

Editor's Note

The UN has asked the International Court of Justice for an opinion on whether countries can be sued for failing to tackle climate change. The NYT reports on this diplomatic win for Vanuatu.

A tiny Pacific island nation has pulled off the kind diplomatic win that can elude global superpowers.

On Wednesday, Vanuatu, population 300,000, rallied a majority of countries to ask the world’s highest court to weigh in on a high-stakes question: Can countries be sued under international law for failing to slow down climate change?

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