Huge Win for Climate Change

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – A huge win for students in a small Pacific Island Nation on the climate change front, as their petition made it to the United Nations General Assembly.

The assembly voted to pass a resolution asking the International Court of Justice to rule to establish obligations countries have to address in the climate crisis.

The push came from a group of students – Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change.

“We are in the critical decade, so it’s good that people and especially our influential leaders acknowledging that and also symbolic in their vote by unanimous vote that was done at the United Nations General Assembly and we do acknowledge that as well and we feel very encouraged that, you know, it’s not just our concern, but our leaders are listening to our voices as well,” the group’s president, Cynthia Houniuhi explains.

Houniuhi and students from eight other Pacific Island states ignited a campaign in 2019, fighting for a legal opinion that would call for stronger measures and clarify international law around climate change.

It’s something that began as a “wild idea” and now it could have implications for countries all over the world facing climate change.

“We’re not looking at is it fair or not. It is, on the face of it, it is not fair. However, we don’t have the luxury of talking about this, we need to act so that is what motivates us, and it’s rightly done by those who have a lot to lose,” Houniuhi added.

At COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland in 2021, Prime Minister Philip Davis made the case for climate financing, noting climate adaptation and mitigation financing will take billions of dollars.

Over the next year and a half, the court will establish an advisory opinion to clarify the financial obligations of countries on climate change and help them to enhance plans under the Paris Agreement.