Island Nation set to sue countries over emissions

Wealthy countries must step up their climate efforts and take action to prevent global warming. This is according to the leader of the island nation of Palau – who is warning of legal action if such measures are not taken.

‘We want people to change their behaviour, to make good decisions for the planet and for the people who live on it, and sometimes it takes a big stick to get people to fall into line – and that is the role played by the ICJ (International Court of Justice),’ says Palau’s President, Surangel Whipps Jr.

Palau – which is situated in the Pacific Ocean and has a population of around 20,000 – played a leading role, alongside other island nations in the region, in an initiative that culminated in the ICJ ruling that all states have a legal obligation to protect the climate.

Any country that fails to meet this obligation risks committing an “internationally unlawful act”, according to the ICJ.

Surangel Whipps Jr emphasises that he is prepared to go all the way and initiate legal proceedings if countries responsible for high emissions do not do everything in their power to reduce their impact on the climate.

‘If measures are not taken and promises are not kept, then these mechanisms allow us to do just that – namely, to sue these countries in order to hold them accountable for their actions,’ he says.

^{Cover image: Lesser crested terns flying over Helen Island, which belongs to Palau. Archive image. Photo: Yannick Peterhans/AP/TT}