Environmental Groups Urge Climate Accountability Law Now
MANILA, Philippines — Environmental advocates are urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to leverage the recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) opinion as a call to action. They want the administration to push for a binding climate accountability law before his State of the Nation Address (Sona) on July 28. This new ICJ climate opinion highlights the urgent need for accountability from major polluters.
The ICJ’s landmark advisory opinion, released on Wednesday, declared that climate change is a serious threat to human rights. It emphasized that states have an international legal obligation to prevent further environmental damage. Moreover, the court stated that governments must regulate businesses that emit harmful pollutants causing climate harm.
Although the ruling is nonbinding, it carries powerful legal and moral influence. Environmental groups say it could shape future domestic laws on climate responsibility. They are calling on lawmakers to enshrine the court’s core principles into a binding national policy.
Calls for a Legally Binding Climate Law
“The government should uphold this ruling [and] create a law that is legally binding,” said Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment spokesperson Jonila Castro during a press briefing on July 24. “It is the role of the states to create a legally binding law that would push for accountability for companies and states that worsen the climate crisis.”
Castro added that the ICJ opinion opens new avenues for using international legal opinions in local climate justice cases. “It opened up a lot of possibilities for our campaign for climate justice,” she noted.
Greenpeace Demands Climate Reparations and Action
In a statement released the same day, Greenpeace Philippines described the ICJ opinion as strengthening the legal foundation for both climate mitigation and reparations. The group challenged President Marcos to announce in his Sona that the Philippines will pursue climate reparations. Additionally, Greenpeace urged the government to pass the Climate Accountability (Clima) bill, designed to hold corporate polluters legally accountable for environmental harm.
The Clima bill, filed as House Bill No. 9609, aims to set clear standards for corporate and state responsibility over climate change in the Philippines. Greenpeace hailed it as the first bill of its kind globally. The legislation seeks to protect vulnerable communities from climate-induced losses by enforcing accountability and ensuring reparations.
Under the bill, companies would be required to measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, disclose climate-related financial risks to regulators, and monitor impacts on human rights within their operations.
The bill also proposes creating a climate change reparations fund. This fund would finance assistance for victims, including relocation, recovery, and adaptation programs. The bill is currently pending in the House climate change committee.
Polluters Must Pay for Climate Harms
“The message of the court is clear: The production, consumption and granting of licenses and subsidies for fossil fuels could be breaches of international law. Polluters must stop emitting and must pay for the harms they have caused,” said Greenpeace senior campaigner Virginia Benosa-Llorin.
She stressed that the Philippines must act swiftly to hold polluters accountable, especially since the ICJ opinion underscores the urgent need for climate justice in developing nations. “The President would be extremely negligent if he ignores the opportunity this offers for new legal actions against polluters,” Benosa-Llorin added.
Using ICJ Opinion to Drive National Climate Justice
While praising the ICJ climate opinion, Castro acknowledged that pushing for justice within the country remains a separate challenge. “In our [organization], we will strive to use this ruling to hold companies and countries accountable,” she said. “We hope to hear this in Marcos’ Sona on the 28th.”
For more news and updates on climate accountability law, visit Filipinokami.com.
