Jul 4, 2025
Energy, News, Politics
Top Latin American court upholds right to “healthy climate”, urges fossil fuel control
Inter-American Court of Human Rights issues a landmark advisory opinion on climate change, urging states to regulate fossil fuels and corporate emissions
Sebastian Rodriguez
Investigations and special projects editor
Editing: Megan Rowling
Latin America’s top court of human rights has decided for the first time that people have the right to a “healthy climate” without “dangerous” human interference, and has urged states to regulate fossil fuel extraction and exploration, in a landmark climate decision.
Culminating a two-year process that involved more than 260 submissions from governments, companies and local communities, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) on Thursday handed down an advisory opinion requested in 2023 by Chile and Colombia to clarify state obligations related to the climate crisis.
In a public hearing held at the court’s headquarters in the Costa Rican capital of San José, Judge Nancy Hernández read out the trailblazing decision on climate change, which for the first time in IACHR history stated a clear link between the “climate emergency” and human rights. The opinion also recognises that states and companies have an obligation to mitigate global warming and its impacts.
“The evidence we saw during the hearings and written submissions shows us that there is no more margin for indifference,” said Judge Hernández. “This is a contribution from law, but law alone is not enough. Success depends on what each one of us can do.”
https://www.climatechangenews.com/2025/07/04/top-latin-american-court-iachr-healthy-climate-fossil-fuel-litigation-advisory-opinion/
