United States Pushes Back Against Vanuatu on World Court Climate Decision

According to a US State Department cable reported by Al Jazeera and the Associated Press,

Washington has circulated instructions to embassies and consulates urging them to discourage support for the Pacific nation’s proposal. The cable states that the administration “strongly objects” to the resolution, arguing it could be used to advance what it describes as unfounded claims of legal liability tied to climate change.

The draft resolution seeks to reinforce last year’s advisory opinion from the ICJ, in which the court’s 15 judges concluded that states have legal responsibilities to address what they termed the “existential threat” posed by climate change. The proceedings — the largest in the court’s history — followed a successful campaign by Vanuatu that secured backing from 132 countries in the UN General Assembly to request the opinion.

US officials contend that the advisory opinion relies on “speculative climate models” and could open the door to legal actions or compensation claims against high-emitting nations. The diplomatic push reflects a broader shift in US climate policy, with President Donald Trump scaling back participation in multilateral climate initiatives during his second term.

Trump has withdrawn the US from key international climate mechanisms, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and has opposed measures such as emissions-related levies at the International Maritime Organization.

Supporters of Vanuatu’s resolution argue the ICJ opinion strengthens accountability and clarifies states’ obligations under international law. Louis Charbonneau of Human Rights Watch urged governments not to retreat from climate commitments, saying countries should uphold their duty to protect human rights by addressing environmental harm.

Vanuatu’s UN Ambassador Odo Tevi has said the resolution aims to translate the court’s legal guidance into stronger global cooperation. Several climate-vulnerable nations — including Barbados, Kenya, the Marshall Islands and the Philippines — have endorsed the draft, underscoring concerns among developing states that face escalating storms, sea-level rise and other climate-related impacts.

With a vote expected in the coming weeks, the dispute highlights widening divisions at the UN over how far the ICJ’s opinion should influence international climate policy and legal accountability.