The tiny island nation of Vanuatu, 1,800 kilometres east of Australia, is at the front line of the fight against climate change. This low-lying chain of 80 islands strung across the ocean, with a population of just under 300,000, is the world’s most at-risk country for natural disasters, as measured by the UN World Risk Report 2021.

The report, published annually since 2011 and covering 181 countries, increasingly determines a country’s risk profile by sea-level rise. By this metric, Vanuatu is the country most affected by the climate crisis.

Climate change and impending environmental disaster isn’t really news, of course. The real story emerging from the region is Vanuatu’s declaration of a “climate emergency” on 28 May and its push for international climate justice protected by international law.

Vanuatu’s initiative is groundbreaking. It is seeking an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, on the rights of present and future generations to be protected from climate change. In order to get an ICJ opinion, Vanuatu needs to secure at least 97 votes at the UN General Assembly in September.