Future Generations Have ‘Interests’: the ICJ Holds
On 23 July 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) made history by affirming that States must account for the interests of future generations when tackling climate change. In his blog on Human Rights Here, Simon Waswa analyzes the landmark advisory opinion which goes beyond guidance—it renders these interests justiciable, marking a bold step toward embedding intergenerational equity at the heart of global climate action.
Excerpt
”The ICJ’s advisory opinion justifiably elicited reactions in various circles. It was heralded as historic not only for addressing the question of State obligations in combatting climate change, but also for its potentially far-reaching consequences for the regulation of private emitters.
This blogpost joins the foray, focusing on the Court’s treatment of the concept of future generations. The central argument advanced in this blogpost is that the Court’s advisory opinion unequivocally affirms that future generations can be ascribed ‘interests’, effectively elevating these interests from abstract concepts to legally recognizable objects. While these interests have previously been pursued in domestic and regional climate litigation in Europe—often by linking them with the rights of other closely related groups, especially children—the ICJ’s advisory opinion instructively affirms that the interests of future generations are, in themselves, justiciable.”
