The United Nations' top court next week begins hearings on the legal obligation of countries to fight climate change and the consequences for states of contributing to global warming, the outcome of which could influence litigation worldwide.
While the advisory opinions of the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) are non-binding, they are legally and politically significant. Experts say the ICJ's eventual opinion on climate change will likely be cited in climate change-driven lawsuits in courts from Europe to Latin America and beyond.