Climate change is incre asingly driving displacement through sea-level rise, extreme weather events and environmental degradation, often in already fragile contex ts. This panel explores how law, policy and international responsibil ity are evolving in response to the climate crisis. Participation is possible online and in person at VU Amsterdam.
Beyond the 2025 ICJ Advisory Opinion
International protection frameworks have not fully adapted to the reality of climate displace ment. Current refugee law was not designed with climate impacts in mi nd, leaving many people displaced by environmental harm outside clear legal protection.
However, recent international developments, most notably the 2025 Advisory Opinion from the International Court o f Justice (ICJ), have sparked new discussion. Can broader legal princ iples, such as non-refoulement (the rule that states should not return people to serious harm), offer protection in climate-relat ed cases?
In this edition of the SDG Academy, the Amsterdam Sus tainability Institute (ASI) and the Global Migration Hub bring togeth er experts to examine the intersection of climate modeling and intern ational law. We will discuss when adaptation reaches its limits, maki ng displacement unavoidable, and whether the "Court has spoken" clear ly enough to establish new customary international law.
What do these legal and ecological shifts mean for the future of internation al protection and global responsibility? Our panel of speakers will p rovide expert analysis and scientific background information.
The session w ill be moderated by Dr. Janna Wessels (Amsterdam Cen ter for Migration and Refugee Law VU), who will guide the panel throu gh the changing landscape of policy and international responsibility. These short presentations will be followed by a Q&A session with the audience.
This SDG Academy will be taking place in-person and online on Teams. For those based in and around Amsterdam, join us at the Green Office VU from 16:00 onwards on May 27th.
< /html> DESCRIPTION: Beyond the 2025 ICJ Advisory Opinion Int ernational protection frameworks have not fully adapted to the realit y of climate displacement. Current refugee law was not designed with climate impacts in mind, leaving many people displaced by environment al harm outside clear legal protection. However, recent international developments, most notably the 2025 Advisory Opinion from the Intern ational Court of Justice (ICJ), have sparked new discussion. Can broa der legal principles, such as non-refoulement (the rule that states should not return people to serious harm), offer protection i n climate-related cases? In this edition of the SDG Academy, the Amst erdam Sustainability Institute (ASI) and the Global Migration Hub bri ng together experts to examine the intersection of climate modeling a nd international law. We will discuss when adaptation reaches its lim its, making displacement unavoidable, and whether the "Court has spok en" clearly enough to establish new customary international law. What do these legal and ecological shifts mean for the future of internat ional protection and global responsibility? Our panel of speakers wil l provide expert analysis and scientific background information.