On Wednesday, July 23, 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued one of the strongest legal statements yet on climate change, and it could have important implications for biodiversity and nature restoration in the EU.
The court unanimously agreed that climate change is an “existential problem of planetary proportions” - and reaffirmed that states have legal obligations to take timely, science-based action to prevent harm, including to ecosystems and biodiversity.
While it is a non-binding advisory opinion, it carries serious legal and moral weight and could influence future laws, policy, and accountability efforts worldwide.
🏛️ This moment came about thanks to a remarkable campaign led by the government of Vanuatu, and a group of Pacific Island law students who pushed this all the way to the world’s highest court - against all odds.
🌿 Why it matters for nature restoration:
- It strengthens the legal and moral foundation for serious, well-funded action on nature
- It legally frames biodiversity loss as a form of climate harm
- It raises expectations for business and investor accountability
- It opens the door for climate-vulnerable countries to pursue stronger legal action against major emitters
- This could help shift how climate and biodiversity action are framed and financed across Europe - great to have some much-needed good news in this space!
Text by Emma Hart, WaterLANDS EU Policy Lead and Research Scientist
