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

The United Nations' highest court on Wednesday said countries need to meet their climate obligations and not doing so could pave the way for other states affected by climate change to seek reparations in litigation in specific cases.

In a landmark advisory opinion, the United Nations' top court said countries could be in violation of international law if they fail to take measures to protect the planet from climate change, and nations harmed by its effects could be entitled to reparations.