Save the Children Vanuatu NextGen Youth Ambassadors and youth climate activists demonstrating ahead of the historic International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change. Photo: Save the Children
A Pacific climate change advocate is hoping this year's COP will bring real change following global recognition of challenges facing the region.
Vishal Prasad was part of a group of students whose six-year campaign to promote climate responsibility culminated in a lamdmark opinion from the United Nations' top court earlier this year. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) found in July that countries could be held legally responsible for their greenhouse gas emissions.
The idea to pursue the case was hatched in a classroom in Port Vila by students in 2019. Prasad was among them, and since then, they've gone on to form the Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change (PIFCC) collective.
Now, the group have been recognised on the global stage through the 2025 Right Livelihood Award. Often referred to as the alternative Nobel Peace Prize, the Right Livelihood organisation said its award laureates were chosen from around the world for being "brave visionaries working for a more just, peaceful and sustainable world for all".
The organisation announced its list of this year's winners on 1 October.
Prasad spoke to Pacific Waves about the award, and the work PIFCC continued to do.
"So there were 27 students in 2019 that began this campaign, and a few of them are still with the organisation in different capacities - serving as part of our executive committee… and some continuing as members.
"But others have moved on to work within their national governments, regional organisations… to support the work regionally."
He said the award was a huge honour for the collective and had come at a pivotal time for the climate justice movement.
"I think what we've seen with the ICJ advisory campaign is that there is immense potential in grassroots activism and mobilisation to… shift these massive systems that may not seem possible to move."
The award and ICJ outcome had been particularly meaningful for young climate advocates who continued to face scepticism around the realities of climate change from world leaders, Prasad said.
In September, US president Donald Trump called climate change a "con job" in his address to the UN General Assembly in New York.
New Zealand foreign minister Winston Peters has also raised concerns over the Paris Climate Accord, which he said fails to hold the world's biggest emitters to account. The treaty commits countries to designing climate action plans that limit global warming to "well below" two degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels. More than 190 countries have adopted it, including New Zealand and other Pacific Island nations.
Prasad believed the ICJ ruling paved the way for the next generation to continue fighting for climate justice. He also dismissed climate change deniers as "disconnected" and "not based on science".
"More than 80 percent of the world in a recent survey… spoke about [how] they supported more strong action on climate change.
"We have Pacific Island countries that are facing the impacts of climate change day-in-and-day-out, and to make comments… essentially rubbishing the realities and the lived experiences of people in the Pacific and around the world - those who are facing some of the most severe consequences - I think it's very misplaced and really disconnected from reality.
"Also, they're not based on science."
Prasad also said advocates were now preparing for next month's COP30 in Brazil. He hoped the annual climate negotiations would result in real commitment from countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions - particularly in the wake of the ICJ ruling.
"It's going to be very interesting to see how COP responds to the ICJ's advisory opinion."
Vanuatu's climate minister has said the country is drafting a UN resolution to turn the ICJ ruling from words into "political action".
