A human rights court is poised to issue an opinion Thursday that could have far-reaching implications for climate policies in countries across Central and South America.
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights was asked by Chile and Colombia in 2023 to issue an advisory opinion about the responsibilities that nations have in addressing the effects of climate change, particularly on people who are most vulnerable to its impacts. The nonbinding decision could shape how domestic courts interpret their governments’ role in protecting people from intensifying storms, floods, wildfires and other extreme weather.
It comes as climate lawsuits are on the rise in places such as Brazil, Colombia and Mexico. The court is located in Costa Rica.
“These advisory opinions themselves aren’t binding, but the domestic courts do issue binding opinions and those can be quite influential,” said Michael Gerrard, director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University.
