The role of climate science is changing — fast. Once positioned to inform policy, scientific assessments are increasingly being used in courtrooms to substantiate claims of harm, causation and state responsibility. Climate knowledge has now become legal evidence in the fight for climate justice.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
$32.99 / 30 days
cancel any time
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to the full article PDF.
USD 39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Tigre, M. & Rocha, A. (eds) The Role of Advisory Opinions in International Law in the Context of the Climate Crisis (Brill, 2025).
Robinson, S. & Bertan, E. Georget. J. Int. Aff. 25, 45–52 (2024).
Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change Advisory Opinion (International Court of Justice, 2025); https://go.nature.com/4mDinZT
Shaw, A. & Robinson, J. Philos. Today 48, 84–95 (2004).
Zagzebski, L. T. Epistemic Authority (Oxford Univ. Press, 2012).
Spaić, B. Anali Pravnog Fak. u Beogradu 66, 143–155 (2018).
Summary Report, 24–28 February 2025: 62nd Session of the IPCC (IPCC-62) (Earth Negotiations Bulletin, 2025); https://go.nature.com/4mHq7de
Sadai, S. & Holland, E. Science Perspectives to Inform the ICJ Advisory Opinion on Climate Change (International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2025); https://go.nature.com/4mv5UqW
Request for an Advisory Opinion Submitted by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law (International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, 2023); https://go.nature.com/4mNCV1y
Advisory Opinion AO-32/25 of May 29 May, 2025 Series A No. 32 (Inter-American Court of Human Rights, 2025); https://go.nature.com/463dfqW
Peel, J. & Osofsky, H. Transnatl Environ. Law 7, 37–67 (2018).
Setzer, J. & Vanhala, L. Wiley Interdiscip. Rev. Clim. Change 10, e580 (2019).
Hartz, F. Glob. Environ. Polit. 23, 32–51 (2023).
Caretta, M. A. & Maharaj, S. Nat. Clim. Change 14, 1013–1014 (2024).
Carmona, R. et al. npj Clim. Action 2, 29 (2023).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
S.R. served as an expert at the AR7 Scoping Meeting and participated in IPCC-62 as an advisor to a government delegation. Both roles were unpaid and undertaken in a personal capacity. She has since been nominated to serve as a Coordinating Lead Author for AR7. S.S. contributed to written submissions to the ICJ and ITLOS proceedings while employed at a non-profit research organization. She was not directly contracted by any government, and none of the states or submissions she supported are cited or analysed in this article. H.E.-M. declares no competing interests. The analysis presented draws solely on publicly available materials and does not rely on privileged or confidential information. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not reflect the positions of any government or organization, including the IPCC.
Peer review
Peer review information
Nature Climate Change thanks the anonymous reviewers for their contribution to the peer review of this work.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Robinson, Sa., Sadai, S. & Evins-Mackenzie, H. The expanding role of climate assessments as legal evidence. Nat. Clim. Chang. 15, 1130–1132 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02434-7
Published:
Version of record:
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02434-7
