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How a Bunch of Students Took on Big Polluters and Won
Laura Clarke, chief executive officer of ClientEarth, say the International Court of Justice has reshaped climate litigation for decades to come.
People gather on a pier in Tanna, Vanuatu in December 2019.
Photographer: Mario Tama/Getty Images AsiaPacIn 2019, a group of law students from Pacific island nations set in motion a case that made it to the world’s highest court: The International Court of Justice.
The students wanted answers to two important questions: what responsibility do countries have to stop climate change? And if countries don’t stop polluting, will they have to pay for the damages?