The International Court of Justice was asked to rule on whether nations are obligated under international law to protect the Earth’s climate from planet-warming emissions.

In a historic advisory opinion, the International Court of Justice ruled that access to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is a fundamental human right.

The island nation of Vanuatu prevailed in its landmark request to legally compel countries to cut emissions and compensate places facing impacts from climate change.

The United Nations' highest court will deliver an opinion on Wednesday that is likely to determine the course of future climate action across the world. Known as an advisory opinion, the deliberation of the 15 judges of the International Court of Justice in The Hague is legally non-binding.

The ruling’s scope is limited to two American activists, but it represents a striking, if tentative, blow to the president’s efforts to penalize and isolate the world’s highest criminal court.

The International Court of Justice will issue an advisory opinion on what legal obligations nations have to address climate change and what consequences they may face if they don’t.

The Pacific island nation of Vanuatu is living with the daily realities of climate change, as intensifying cyclones, rising seas and saltwater intrusion reshape its coasts and disrupt life