23/07/2025
A generational moment for climate justice — and a proud milestone for Vanuatu and the VBRC.
Today in The Hague, the International Court of Justice delivered a unanimous and historic advisory opinion: climate change is the most serious existential threat facing humanity, and States have binding legal obligations under international law to prevent harm and protect present and future generations.
This decision is a profound victory for the Pacific and for Vanuatu — and the culmination of years of diplomacy, advocacy, and strategic coordination.
Dr. Christopher Bartlett and Glen Craig, long-standing members of the Vanuatu Business Resilience Council (VBRC), played key roles in this journey.
• Dr. Bartlett served for two years as the Climate Diplomacy Project Manager, supporting the Vanuatu Government and its diplomatic missions in building global momentum and legal support for the case.
• Glen Craig, former VBRC Chairman for eight years and a member of the Climate Diplomacy Taskforce, was part of the official Vanuatu delegation present at the ICJ today for the handing down of the judgment.
The VBRC, as the Government of Vanuatu’s recognised focal point for private sector coordination in humanitarian response and climate action, is proud to have supported this initiative from the outset.
The Council provided core funding to the Climate Diplomacy Taskforce over the past three years, made possible through the generous support of Climateworks Foundation and the Campaign for a Climate Emergency Global (CECG)
This advisory opinion will shape international law for decades — but its significance will be felt immediately in places like Vanuatu, where the impacts of climate change affect nearly every aspect of daily life, especially for the small businesses that make up 95% of the private sector.
The VBRC is honoured to have played a role in helping deliver one of the most consequential legal decisions of our time.
📸 Prime Minster of Vanuatu Jotham Napat with Dr Bartlett, Glen Craig and ICJ mission members during the European campaign
