Generally it takes a lawsuit to get issues achieved.
Many sustainability specialists say judicial motion is without doubt one of the strongest instruments civil society can use to drive sustainability outcomes within the close to time period, in response to a world survey by Trellis knowledge associate by GlobeScan in collaboration with ERM and Volans. This view has gained vital traction in mild of the Worldwide Court docket of Justice’s historic advisory opinion on local weather change issued in July, which declares {that a} clear, wholesome and sustainable atmosphere is a basic human proper.
The ICJ’s landmark ruling affirms that international locations have authorized obligations to forestall environmental hurt below worldwide regulation. Crucially, the ruling finds that states failing to fulfill their local weather commitments are in breach of worldwide regulation and that they have to cooperate to realize concrete emissions discount targets. This reframes local weather motion as a authorized crucial somewhat than a coverage desire, and elevates the strategic significance of litigation, authorized programs and accountability mechanisms within the international sustainability agenda.
Alongside authorized avenues, specialists additionally level to training and management improvement, coverage advocacy and media scrutiny as prime civil society methods to speed up progress. In distinction, much less structured or symbolic approaches, reminiscent of NGO campaigns, public protests or boycotts are seen as much less impactful in reaching systemic change.
What this implies
The ICJ’s advisory opinion could also be a turning level for local weather justice. Though technically not legally binding, it sends a robust message that might reshape worldwide local weather negotiations and jurisprudence. For the greater than 3,000 pending local weather lawsuits globally, the ICJ’s affirmation of authorized obligations gives contemporary momentum and potential authorized precedent for holding governments and companies accountable.
For companies and policymakers, this implies local weather litigation danger is rising. The advisory opinion may additionally affect the tone of negotiations at COP30, fueling elevated stress for enforceable targets and local weather finance for susceptible international locations.
Wanting forward, authorized motion could now not be a final resort and will as an alternative change into a major lever within the sustainability toolbox. Corporations can be sensible to watch evolving authorized norms, proactively align with worldwide commitments and embed local weather danger into their governance and technique earlier than courts and public stress pressure their hand.
Based mostly on a survey of 844 sustainability practitioners throughout 72 international locations carried out April-Might 2025.
