Credits @ ACPEL/NUS. From Left to Right: Prajwol Bickram Rana, Matthew Carvalho, Ecab Amor Vázquez, Louise Fournier, José Daniel Rodríguez Orúe, Nicole Ponce, Justin Lim, Johanna Gusman, Theresa Amor-Juergenssen, Sam Bookman, Aditi Shetye, Yang Huiwen, Matthew Baird.

On 5–6 February, several members of WYCJ attended a workshop hosted by the Asia Pacific Centre for Environmental Law (APCEL) at NUS Law in Singapore. The workshop was attended by a myriad of highly qualified and experienced scholars, campaigners, and practitioners, many of which have been directly involved in the process for the International Court of Justice’s climate change advisory opinion (ICJ AO) or climate litigation generally. Together, we had incredibly insightful discussions on the past and future legal strategies surrounding the ICJ AO.

WYCJ was proudly represented by Aditi Shetye, Nicole Ponce, José Daniel Rodríguez Orúe, Prajwol Bickram Rana, Han Ying Jie, Justin Lim, and Theresa Amor-Juergenssen. Together, they brought their expertise, presenting on the following topics: the strategies behind the request for the ICJ Advisory Opinion; the legitimacy and legal relevance of the ICJ advisory opinion; climate science; intergenerational equity; strict due diligence obligations and fossil fuel phase-out; and the protection of vulnerable geographies. We were also extremely excited and grateful to have Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change (PISFCC) join us in the workshop, discussing storytelling as a legal strategy.

The ideas and discussions at the workshop are part of a forthcoming edited collection edited by Justin Lim (APCEL; NUS), Theresa Amor-Jürgenssen (World’s Youth for Climate Justice), and Professor David R. Boyd (University of British Columbia). The volume will study how the youth-led movement for the ICJ’s advisory opinion combined advocacy and legal strategies, resulting in profound changes to the landscape of international law, and renewed hope for ambitious climate action. It aims to explore how innovative youth-led legal thinking, global collaboration, and storytelling from the climate-vulnerable Global South shaped knowledge-production across ideas like ecosystem protection, intergenerational equity, and the right to a healthy environment. It further aims to discuss how the ICJ advisory opinion and the aforementioned past strategies can inform future legal and advocacy strategies in the fight for climate justice. Drawing from the experiences and expertise from both youth and more veteran scholars and practitioners, the volume will, thus, offer a unique practical guide on youth- and Global South- led legal strategies that re-imagine the use of international law in the fight against climate change.

We hope that the workshop and the attached volume will become an essential milestone in our implementation strategy. To that end, we hope to write down everything we have learnt from our historic win, while also contemplating how to use these strategies and use the advisory opinion to continue the fight for climate justice. The past and the future are ours to shape and we continue to believe that as young, stubborn optimists, we can change the world for the better.

Past and Future Strategies for the ICJ Advisory Opinion on Climate Change (Workshop)

ICJ Advisory Opinion on Climate Change: A Legal Perspective with Dr. Justin Sobion