The United Nations General Assembly has adopted by 141 votes to 8 a resolution that supports the landmark opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legal obligations of states to combat climate change. The resolution was adopted despite opposition from some of the largest oil-producing and greenhouse gas-emitting countries, including the United States, Russia, Iran and Saudi Arabia. A total of 28 countries abstained.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the vote a strong confirmation of international law and the responsibility of governments to protect citizens from the worsening climate crisis.
The resolution was proposed by Vanuatu and supports the ICJ’s July 2025 advisory opinion, which states have an obligation to reduce their use of fossil fuels and take measures to limit global warming. Although the court’s opinion is not legally binding, it is increasingly being used in climate litigation in various countries and is cited by courts in environmental decisions.
The Trump administration opposed the resolution. The US ambassador to the UN, Tammy Bruce, argued that the document included inappropriate political demands regarding the use of fossil fuels and opposed the idea of ​​the secretary-general reporting on the legal issues raised. Meanwhile, countries such as Australia, Germany, France and the United Kingdom voted in favor of the resolution. Vanuatu’s UN ambassador, Odo Tevi, said before the vote that the impacts of the climate crisis were already real and were hitting island communities hard, even though they had done little to create the problem.
Pacific countries are among the most vulnerable to rising sea levels. In Tuvalu, where the average elevation is only about two meters above sea level, a large part of the population has applied for climate migration programs. While in Nauru, authorities have launched initiatives to provide funds for possible future relocation. The resolution is seen as an important political and legal step in global efforts to increase the responsibility of states in the face of the climate crisis, at a time when the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve.