Comments on the ICJ Advisory Opinion on Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change on 23 July 2025

Tomasz Srogosz

doi:10.21697/2026.15.1.06

Published: 2026-06-26

Vol. 15 No. 1 (2026)

Comments on the ICJ Advisory Opinion on Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change on 23 July 2025

Tomasz Srogosz

Polish Review of International and European Law

Section: Case comments

https://doi.org/10.21697/2026.15.1.06

Abstract

On 23 June 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion on the obligations of states in respect of climate change. The opinion was adopted at the request of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), which, in resolution 77/276, asked what the obligations of States under international law are to ensure the protection of the climate system and what the legal consequences of these obligations are for states where their acts and omissions cause significant harm to the climate system and other parts of the environment, with respect to other states, in particular Small Island Developing States (SIDS), peoples and individuals. For the first time in history, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion unanimously. However, this influenced its content. The opinion is somewhat conservative, and the ICJ does not venture to further address the issues of: SIDS statehood, state liability for GHG emissions, division between States responsible for climate change-related damages and States affected by them, obligations towards indigenous peoples, or the customary nature of international climate change rules.

Keywords:

climate change, Advisory Opinion, obligations, international law, responsibility

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Srogosz, T. (2026). Comments on the ICJ Advisory Opinion on Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change on 23 July 2025. Polish Review of International and European Law, 15(1), 173–206. https://doi.org/10.21697/2026.15.1.06

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Tomasz Srogosz

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9753-8920

Affiliation:

University of National Education Commission, Krakow Poland