The ICJ just raised the stakes on climate action – Malaysia must step up
THE International Court of Justice (ICJ) has sent a strong message to the world: taking serious action on climate change is not just a good idea – it is a legal duty.
In a landmark advisory opinion released on July 23, 2025, the ICJ confirmed that countries have clear obligations under international law to protect people and the planet from the impacts of climate change. These responsibilities go beyond the Paris Agreement – they are rooted in broader legal duties that all nations must uphold.
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New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- New Straits Times
ICJ ruling demands climate leadership, energy transition
LETTERS: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has sent a strong message to the world: taking serious action on climate change is not just a good idea — it is a legal duty. In a landmark advisory opinion released on July 23, the ICJ confirmed that countries have clear obligations under international law to protect people and the planet from the impacts of climate change. While not legally binding, this determination by the Court carries weight. It will shape how governments, investors, companies and courts understand their responsibilities. And it puts Malaysia — as both a fossil-fuel-producing nation and a regional leader — under the spotlight. A critical element of the advisory opinion is its link between climate and human rights. "The full enjoyment of human rights cannot be ensured without the protection of the climate system," the Court said. In simple terms: we cannot live safe, healthy lives without a healthy environment. In Malaysia, we are already feeling the consequences of inaction. Floods are worsening. Heatwaves are more frequent. Haze disrupts daily life and harms health, especially for children. These aren't future threats — they are here, and the most vulnerable are hit first. So, what now? First, accelerate the energy transition. The government must end fossil fuel subsidies and redirect that money into renewable energy, public transport and support for workers in high-carbon industries. The transition must also be just — rural and lower-income communities need to benefit, not be left behind. According to the World Bank, Malaysia spent RM52 billion on blanket fossil fuel subsidies in 2022. Redirected to clean energy, that could fund 15 to 17 gigawatts of solar power — enough for over five million homes — or build thousands of megawatts of grid-scale battery storage to stabilise a renewables-powered grid. It could electrify rural areas, support transition funds for oil and gas workers, and modernise the national grid to meet future demand. In short, RM52 billion could kickstart a job-creating, emissions-cutting energy revolution. Second, regulate polluters. Companies must be held accountable for their emissions. Voluntary commitments and ESG talk are not enough. The ICJ has affirmed that governments must act to uphold their international legal obligations. And citizens, media and civil society must hold both government and business to account. Third, lead in Asean and beyond. Malaysia has a chance to shape regional climate action. We should push for shared rules across Southeast Asia on climate ambition, just transition, and environmental safeguards. The Asean 2045 Vision barely addresses climate change or fossil fuel dependency. That must change. If Asean is truly "people-centred", its vision must reflect a serious commitment to protecting its citizens — especially those most vulnerable to climate impacts. The ICJ advisory opinion gives the world a powerful tool to push for stronger, fairer climate action backed by international law. Sunway Centre for Planetary Health Sunway University, Malaysia
The Sun
8 hours ago
- The Sun
EU chief urges Zelensky to protect anti-graft bodies' independence
BRUSSELS: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to maintain the independence of anti-corruption institutions, following recent tensions over Kyiv's attempt to limit their authority. Von der Leyen described her discussions with Zelensky as productive, acknowledging Ukraine's progress toward European integration. 'It must build on these solid foundations and preserve independent anti-corruption bodies, which are cornerstones of Ukraine's rule of law,' she stated in a post on X. Last week, Ukraine's parliament voted to strip two anti-corruption agencies of their autonomy, triggering widespread criticism. The EU labeled the decision a 'serious step back,' warning it could allow political interference in corruption cases. Von der Leyen personally sought explanations from Zelensky, marking a rare public rebuke from Brussels. Facing protests in Kyiv, Zelensky reversed course, pledging new legislation to reinforce the agencies' independence. The EU welcomed the move, reiterating its commitment to Ukraine's anti-corruption reforms. 'Ukraine can count on our support to deliver progress on its European path,' von der Leyen affirmed. – AFP
Malay Mail
9 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Trump's immigration crackdown puts US food security on the line, California farmers warn
VENTURA, July 27 — Lisa Tate, whose family has been farming in Ventura County since 1876, cannot recall a threat to crops like the one emanating from Donald Trump's anti-immigrant onslaught. Tate fears that the crackdown on illegal workers, far from addressing the problems of this vital agricultural region north of Los Angeles, could 'dismantle the whole economy' and put the country's food security at risk. 'I began to get really concerned when we saw a group of border control agents come up to the Central Valley and just start going onto farms and just kind of trying to chase people down, evading the property owner,' the 46-year-old farmer, who grows avocados, citrus and coffee, told AFP in an interview. 'That's not something we're used to happening in agriculture,' she added. Lisa Tate Soury, owner of Rancho Filoso Farm, poses near avocado trees on her farm in Santa Paula, California, July 14, 2025. — AFP pic The impact goes beyond harvesters, she said. 'There's a whole food chain involved,' from field workers to truck drivers to people working in packing houses and in sales. 'It's just, everybody's scared,' she said — even a multi-generational American like her. 'I'm nervous and I'm scared, because we're feeling like we're being attacked.' Other farmers contacted by AFP declined to speak to the media, saying they feared potential reprisals from the Trump administration. Francisco Panfilo holds a 'plan de preparacion familiar' (family preparedness plan) in front of a strawberry field, in Oxnard, California, July 14, 2025. — AFP pic Worker shortages The agricultural sector has for years been trying to find permanent solutions for its perennial labour shortages, beyond issuing temporary permits for migrant workers. 'Some of the work we have is seasonal. But really, around here, we need workers that are year-round,' Tate says. The number of government certified positions for temporary agricultural workers practically tripled between 2014 and 2024, Department of Labor statistics show, underlining just how much American agriculture depends on foreign workers. On top of that, some 42 per cent of farm workers are not authorized to work in the United States, according to a 2022 study by the Department of Agriculture. Those numbers line up with the struggles many farmers go through to find labour. A farmworker poses in the middle of a strawberry field, in Oxnard, California, July 14, 2025. — AFP pic They say US citizens are not interested in the physically demanding work, with its long days under extreme temperatures, rain and sun. Against that backdrop, Tate warns that removing people who are actually doing the work will cause immeasurable damage. Not only will it harm farms and ranches, which could take years to recover, it will also send food prices soaring, and even endanger US food security, possibly requiring the country to start importing provisions that may previously have been grown at home, she says. 'What we really need is some legislation that has the type of program that we need, and that works for both the workers, that ensures their safety, it ensures a fair playing field when it comes to international trade, as well as as domestic needs,' Tate said. A farmworker checks coffee beans at Rancho Filoso Farm in Santa Paula, California, July 14, 2025. — AFP pic 'Everyone loses' Some farmworkers agreed to speak to AFP on condition of not being fully identified, for fear of being arrested. 'All we do is work,' a worker named Silvia told AFP. She saw several friends arrested in a raid in in Oxnard, about 10 miles (16km) west of Ventura. The 32-year-old Mexican lives in constant fear that she will be the next one picked up and, in the end, separated from her two US-born daughters. 'We're between a rock and a hard place. If we don't work, how will we pay our bills? And if we go out, we run the risk of running into them,' she said, referring to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. 'The way the government is working right now, everybody loses,' said Miguel, who has been working in the fields of southern California for three decades. A farmworker checks coffee beans at Rancho Filoso Farm in Santa Paula, California, July 14, 2025. — AFP pic The 54-year-old said that workers are losing jobs, farm owners are losing their labour, and as a result, the United States is losing its food. Miguel has worked in various different agriculture sector jobs, including during the Covid-19 pandemic. All of them were 'very hard jobs,' he said. Now he feels like he has a target on his back. 'They should do a little research so they understand. The food they eat comes from the fields, right?' he said. 'So it would be good if they were more aware, and gave us an opportunity to contribute positively, and not send us into hiding.' — AFP
