As countries prepare for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, a group of UN human rights and environmental experts has called on governments to align their climate actions with the recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion on states’ obligations to address climate change.
In a statement from Geneva, the experts stressed that nations must act “urgently and effectively” to fulfill their legal and moral responsibilities under international law to protect the climate, prevent environmental degradation, and safeguard human rights.
“States must urgently and effectively advance the implementation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement, as interpreted by the International Court of Justice,” the experts said. “These obligations are not optional; they are legal and moral imperatives.”
Upholding human rights and legal duties
The ICJ Advisory Opinion, requested by the UN General Assembly earlier this year, clarified that states have binding obligations to prevent climate-related harm and protect the global environment. It also reaffirmed that the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is “a precondition and essential element” for the enjoyment of all other human rights.
The experts emphasized that countries must uphold commitments not only under the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement but also through treaties such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, and the Convention on the Law of the Sea.
They pointed to recent rulings from other international courts, including the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, which have both affirmed that environmental protection and human rights are inseparable.
Regulation, accountability, and global cooperation
Calling for greater accountability, the experts urged governments to regulate polluting sectors, hold both public and private actors responsible for emissions, and strengthen international cooperation to cut global greenhouse gases.
They also noted that past and ongoing violations could require states to provide reparations including restoring damaged ecosystems and compensating affected communities.
“States must effectively regulate, monitor, and control actors in emissions-intensive sectors,” the experts stated. “They must ensure that climate obligations are implemented inclusively, recognizing the needs and rights of Indigenous Peoples, peasants, people of African descent, displaced persons, and children.”
The experts further reminded that businesses have a duty under international human rights law to assess and mitigate their climate impacts, particularly in fossil fuel, deforestation, and mining industries.
Key expectations from COP30
Ahead of COP30, the experts highlighted three critical areas for measurable progress stronger mitigation targets including fossil fuel phaseouts, enhanced financial and technological support for developing nations, and integration of human rights in all climate policies.
They emphasized that fossil fuel dependency remains the central driver of the climate crisis, with wide-ranging consequences on health, livelihoods, and equality.
Ensuring a just and inclusive transition
The experts expressed optimism about the *Just Transition Work Programme* expected to be adopted at COP30, which aims to help nations design fair, worker-centered transitions to renewable energy systems.
“The Just Transition Work Programme should ensure that renewables-based transformations are fair and inclusive,” they said. “Workers and communities must be active partners in building a sustainable future.”
Protecting civil society voices
Reiterating earlier concerns, the experts called for measures to limit fossil fuel lobbying at COP meetings and to ensure the safety of environmental defenders, journalists, and activists advocating for stronger climate action.
“COP30 must not only be about policy but about people,” they said. “Ensuring the safety and inclusion of environmental defenders and marginalized voices is vital to building a credible, accountable, and just climate process.”
Defining moment for climate justice
Set in Belém an Amazonian city that symbolizes both ecological fragility and resilience COP30 represents a crucial moment for embedding justice and human rights at the core of global climate governance.
“The ICJ’s opinion places a clear responsibility on every government to act decisively, cooperatively, and transparently,” the experts concluded. “This is a defining moment for international law and global climate justice. States must rise to the occasion not just for the planet’s ecosystems, but for the people whose lives and rights depend on them.”