In a ruling that was delivered at the Hague, Netherlands, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled that countries can sue each other over climate change. This includes historic greenhouse gas emissions that have driven global warming.
The case was proposed by a group of law students from low-lying Pacific islands in 2019, and the initiative received support from developing countries concerned about climate injustice.
Experts say the ruling gives power to countries that have long faced challenges due to the adverse effects of climate change caused by other countries.
This means countries can now demand compensation from other countries that have historically burned the most fossil fuels and are therefore the most responsible for global warming.
However, some quarters have argued that determining which countries have caused more damage will be tricky and the cases should be handled with care.
