“We want people to change their behaviour, make good decisions for the planet and for the people who live on it. Sometimes it takes a big stick to get people to fall into line, and that is the role of the ICJ (International Court of Justice),” says Palau’s president, Surangel Whipps Jr.
Palau, which is located in the Pacific Ocean and has a population of about 20,000, played a leading role, along with other island nations in the region, in an initiative that resulted in the ICJ finding that all states have a legal obligation to protect the climate.
A country that fails to comply risks committing an “internationally wrongful act,” according to the ICJ.
Surangel Whipps Jr. emphasises that he is willing to go all the way and initiate legal proceedings if countries responsible for large emissions do not do what they can to reduce their climate impact.
“If action is not taken and promises are not kept, these mechanisms allow us to sue these countries and hold them accountable for their actions,” he says.
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