Que signifie l’avis consultatif de la Cour internationale de Justice sur le changement climatique pour les subventions nuisibles à l’environnement?

The document argues that the ICJ's 2025 advisory opinion transforms the removal of fossil fuel subsidies from a political commitment into a legal imperative, as such subsidies may constitute an 'internationally wrongful act'. It suggests this reasoning extends to other harmful subsidies, such as those in agriculture and plastics, increasing the legal risk for states. The briefing recommends that governments implement transparent, gradual phase-out plans, prioritize social protection over production subsidies, and coordinate internationally through initiatives like the Coalition on Phasing Out Fossil Fuel Incentives including Subsidies (COFFIS).

• The ICJ's July 2025 advisory opinion establishes that providing fossil fuel subsidies can be considered an internationally wrongful act, moving the issue beyond mere political commitment to a legal requirement.
• International legal obligations regarding climate change apply not only to direct greenhouse gas emissions but also to activities that enable or subsidize the production of fossil fuels.
• While a state's specific capacities and resources are decisive factors in determining the applicable standard of due diligence, all states are required to use all available means to protect the climate system.
• The ICJ's reasoning regarding fossil fuel subsidies may be applied by analogy to other climate-harmful subsidies, such as those for plastics and agriculture, because they are actions that expose the climate system to the harmful effects of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.
• Despite various international commitments (G7, G20, UNFCCC), fossil fuel subsidies have often increased; for example, G7 subsidies rose from 66.8 billion dollars in 2014 to 133 billion dollars in 2024.
• The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Target 18 aims to identify and eliminate or reform biodiversity-harmful incentives by 2025, with a goal to reduce them by at least 500 billion US dollars per year by 2030.
• States that have accepted the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ face significantly higher international legal risks, as these countries represented 49% of the total volume of fossil fuel subsidies in 2023.
• To mitigate legal risks, governments are advised to adopt a gradual phase-out approach, ensure transparency through subsidy inventories, and redirect savings toward social protection and green energy solutions.

APA

Jones, N. (2026). Que signifie l’avis consultatif de la Cour internationale de Justice sur le changement climatique pour les subventions nuisibles à l’environnement? International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-03/icj-advisory-opinion-environmentally-harmful-subsidies-fr.pdf

Chicago

Jones, Natalie. Que signifie l’avis consultatif de la Cour internationale de Justice sur le changement climatique pour les subventions nuisibles à l’environnement? International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2026. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-03/icj-advisory-opinion-environmentally-harmful-subsidies-fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jones |first1=Natalie |title=Que signifie l’avis consultatif de la Cour internationale de Justice sur le changement climatique pour les subventions nuisibles à l’environnement? |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=March 2026 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-03/icj-advisory-opinion-environmentally-harmful-subsidies-fr.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jones2026que, author = {Jones, Natalie}, title = {{Que signifie l’avis consultatif de la Cour internationale de Justice sur le changement climatique pour les subventions nuisibles à l’environnement?}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2026}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-03/icj-advisory-opinion-environmentally-harmful-subsidies-fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }