Episode 37: The ICJ’s Advisory Opinion on Climate Obligations: Remarkable, Radical and Robust

Episode 37: The ICJ’s Advisory Opinion on Climate Obligations: Remarkable, Radical and Robust

Author: European Journal of International Law July 30, 2025 Duration: 51:11

There were gasps in the courtroom when the ICJ delivered its advisory opinion on the obligations of States in respect of climate change on 23 July 2025. In this episode, Margaret Young (Melbourne Law School), Phoebe Okowa (Queen Mary University of London, member of the International Law Commission) and Lavanya Rajamani (Oxford) explore how, with its robust and at times radical reasoning, the Court has delivered a truly significant moment for international law.

Scholarship referred to in the episode includes Phoebe N. Okowa, State Responsibility for Transboundary Air Pollution in International Law (2000); Lavanya Rajamani, ‘Interpreting the Paris Agreement in its Normative Environment’ (2024) 77 Current Legal Problems 167; Margaret A. Young, ‘Climate Change and Law: A Global Challenge for Legal Education’ (2021) 40 University of Queensland Law Journal 351; and Margaret A. Young, ‘Fragmentation’ in Lavanya Rajamani and Jacqueline Peel (eds), Oxford Handbook of International Environmental Law (2021) 85.


Dive into the complex and ever-evolving world of global legal frameworks with EJIL: The Podcast! Brought to you by the European Journal of International Law, this series transforms intricate legal concepts into engaging and accessible conversations. Each episode features the journal's own editors, along with contributors from its dynamic blog, EJIL: Talk!, who bring their deep expertise directly to the microphone. Rather than dry academic lectures, you'll hear thoughtful, nuanced discussions that connect the dots between international law and the pressing events shaping both global and domestic landscapes. From diplomatic tensions and human rights to trade disputes and environmental agreements, the podcast examines how legal principles are tested and applied in real time. Produced with the European Journal of International Law and supported by staff at the University of Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government, the production ensures a consistently high-quality exploration of ideas. Whether you're a legal professional, a student, or simply a curious mind trying to understand the rules that govern state interactions, this podcast offers a vital and clarifying perspective. It’s a direct line to the thinkers who are dissecting today's most challenging issues, making the often-opaque mechanics of international affairs comprehensible and relevant to our daily lives.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 44

EJIL: The Podcast!
Podcast Episodes
Episode 3: Hacked Off! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:39
With cyberattacks against the health care sector on the rise, this episode focuses on international law and cyber operations, especially in the context of the fight against COVID-19. For this discussion, Dapo Akande, Mar…
Episode 2: WHO let the bats out? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:43
Dapo Akande, Marko Milanovic, Sarah Nouwen and Philippa Webb are joined by Gian Luca Burci, former Legal Counsel of the World Health Organization, to discuss international health law and pandemics. They discuss the oblig…
Episode 1: Contagion [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:55
Dapo Akande, Marko Milanovic, Sarah Nouwen and Philippa Webb discuss the compatibility with international human rights law of the measures taken by states in the fight against the corona virus. Do states have a duty to c…