Paris climate accord is not enough to protect oceans, court says

An international court said on Tuesday greenhouse gas emissions absorbed by the ocean were considered marine pollution, and nations are obliged to protect marine environments by going further than the requirements of the Paris climate agreement.

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in Hamburg, Germany, gave its advisory opinion on whether countries have a responsibility to reduce emissions and fight climate change – a judgement that could give legal leverage to future climate cases.