Port Vila, Vanuatu An advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice last year left no doubt that states have a legal obligation to prevent significant harm to the climate system, and that a failure to do so carries legal consequences. Now, a new United Nations resolution seeks to put this ruling into practice . Lionel Bonaventure/ AFP - PS By Ralph Regenvanu PORT VILA —Last year, the International Court of Justice ( ICJ ) delivered a legal opinion on climate change with a clarity of purpose not seen since the 2015 Paris agreement.