August 25, 2025 (SEOUL) – In the wake of the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) landmark Advisory Opinion confirming states’ obligations to reduce emissions and protect the climate, over 30 organizations worldwide have signed an open letter coordinated by Solutions for Our Climate (SFOC), welcoming the opinion. The letter urges the Parties to the Paris Agreement to ensure that their 2035 nationally determined contributions (NDCs, or NDC 3.0) reflect the highest possible ambition consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C. Signatories include Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change (PISFCC), World’s Youth for Climate Justice (WYCJ), Earthjustice, Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), and Beyond Fossil Fuels.
On 23 July, the ICJ – the UN’s principal judicial body – confirmed that climate action is an obligation for all States. The Court identified a broad range of legal sources underpinning States’ climate obligations, including the climate treaties, customary international law, and other rules of international law. It also left open the possibility that failure to take adequate climate action could constitute a breach of international law, giving rise to State responsibility. While the more than 500-page opinion is not legally binding, it marks the first time the ICJ has issued an authoritative legal opinion on climate change and is widely regarded as a turning point in international legal discourse. The opinion has also opened a new chapter in climate litigation, taking place at national, regional, and international levels.
In the letter, the organizations stressed that “ambition is not a political choice—it is a legal necessity based on scientific evidence.” They further emphasized that “what ultimately matters is not the timing of submission but the level of ambition, the robustness of the content, and the extent of meaningful stakeholder engagement in the formulation process.” The deadline for submitting 2035 NDCs, initially set for 10 February, was extended to September. As of 4 August, 27 countries had submitted their NDCs, with most remaining submissions expected in the third quarter of this year.
The ICJ opinion is the result of years of determined effort by Pacific Island states and civil society. Six years ago, students from Pacific Island states at the University of the South Pacific in Vanuatu proposed seeking an ICJ Advisory Opinion as part of a legal strategy to address the climate crisis. The Government of Vanuatu embraced the idea and led diplomatic efforts from the early campaign through the adoption of the UN General Assembly resolution and the ICJ proceedings. They played key roles at every stage, from initial mobilization to the Court’s deliberations.
Among the opinion’s findings, the section on NDCs is especially timely as countries prepare their 2035 targets. The ICJ made clear that NDCs “must reflect the highest possible ambition” and, when taken together, must be “capable of achieving the objective of limiting the increase in the global average temperature to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.” This reinforces what has long been understood: the temperature goal in Article 2 of the Paris Agreement is not aspirational, it is foundational. The Court went further in stating that “rather than being entirely discretionary, NDCs must satisfy certain standards under the Paris Agreement,” and that in the current context of the climate crisis, “the standard of due diligence to be applied in preparing the NDCs is stringent.”
Marking the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, the open letter urges the Parties to recall the 1.5°C commitment they made when the Agreement was adopted, and to bridge the gap between commitment and action with ambitious 2035 NDCs. “Global civil society is calling for 2035 NDCs that reflect the highest possible ambition in line with the 1.5°C goal. Raising ambition requires clear pathways, including transitioning away from fossil fuels and cutting industrial emissions especially from carbon-intensive sectors. Only through such commitments can NDCs close the gap between current efforts and what is needed to address the climate crisis,” Yeeun Uhm, attorney at SFOC, said.
ENDS.
Solutions for Our Climate (SFOC) is an independent nonprofit organization that works to accelerate global greenhouse gas emissions reduction and energy transition. SFOC leverages research, litigation, community organizing, and strategic communications to deliver practical climate solutions and build movements for change.
For media inquiries, please reach out to Antonette Tagnipez, Communications Officer, at antonette.tagnipez@forourclimate.org.
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