The UN human rights chief Volker Turk has welcomed a decision by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights stating that states in the Americas have legal obligations to address the climate crisis, describing it as “a landmark step forward for the region and beyond”.

"Armed with the Court’s guidance and that of others, including the UN Human Rights Office, states should be in no doubt about the existence and scope of their human rights obligations in this area," he said.

Turk emphasised that states have a "bedrock obligation under international law" to avoid actions that cause irreversible climate and environmental harm not only to safeguard current populations but also for "the interests of future generations."

"As the impact of climate change becomes ever more visible across the world, the Court is clear: people have a right to a stable climate and a healthy environment," he said.

As legal pressure mounts on governments to act on climate, recent data underscores just how deeply countries in the Americas are entangled in the crisis they’re being asked to confront.

US pollution

In the United States, carbon pollution from the power sector climbed five percent in the first half of 2025, driven by a resurgence in coal use, according to data from Ember.

This comes amid the Trump administration’s sweeping overhaul of federal institutions, which has seen the firing of thousands of civil servants, including climate scientists and public health experts. 

It has also steered agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Institutes of Health away from climate and environmental research, causing alarm among scientists.

The disruption of NCA6 comes at a perilous time: global temperatures have begun to breach 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming above preindustrial levels, according to recent international analyses, fuelling worsening wildfires, droughts, floods, and storms across the United States.

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights' advisory opinion, released earlier this week, underscored that the worsening impacts of climate change are undermining fundamental rights and that governments must act urgently to protect both present and future generations.

The human rights office, which submitted its expert views to the court during the process, has long warned of the human cost of environmental degradation, Turk said, adding the court's opinion provides critical guidance to states navigating their climate responsibilities.

"There is an urgent need to take meaningful action through legislation, policy change, resource mobilisation, and international cooperation to stop the climate crisis from worsening and ensure those affected have access to justice. I once again urge them to do so,” he said.