Countries must protect human right to a stable climate, court rules

Costa Rica-based inter-American court of human rights says states have obligation to respond to climate change

SearchSupport usPrint subscriptionsNewslettersDownload the appSearch jobsDigital ArchiveGuardian LicensingAbout UsThe Guardian appVideoPodcastsPicturesInside the GuardianGuardian WeeklyCrosswordsWordiplyCorrectionsTipsSearch input google-search SearchSearch jobsDigital ArchiveGuardian LicensingAbout UsWorldEuropeUS newsAmericasAsiaAustraliaMiddle EastAfricaInequalityGlobal development A forest fire outside Quito, Ecuador last September. Countries should take ‘urgent and effective’ action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to the IACHR. Photograph: Galo Paguay/AFP/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenA forest fire outside Quito, Ecuador last September. Countries should take ‘urgent and effective’ action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to the IACHR. Photograph: Galo Paguay/AFP/Getty ImagesEnvironmentCountries must protect human right to a stable climate, court rulesCosta Rica-based inter-American court of human rights says states have obligation to respond to climate change

There is a human right to a stable climate and states have a duty to protect it, a top court has ruled.