The ruling was the result of years of efforts by activists and small island nations and initiated by Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, a group of young Pacific Islanders facing the existential threat of rising sea levels,

A decade since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015, two big outstanding questions have delayed action: Who is responsible for climate change and who should pay?

The United Nations' highest court said countries need to meet their climate obligations or face potential litigation

It marks the first time the International Court of Justice, the UN’s top court based in the Hague, has considered the climate crisis.