The ruling was the result of years of efforts by activists and small island nations and initiated by Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, a group of young Pacific Islanders facing the existential threat of rising sea levels,

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a unanimous opinion on July 23, 2025, that climate change is "an existential problem of planetary proportions that imperils all forms of life and the very health of our planet.

International Court of Justice determines countries are responsible for corporate emissions and must cooperate to achieve concrete emission reduction targets.