Climate Change Victims Need Compensation from CO2 Emitters: Tuvalu PM

Pacific Island nations facing existential threats from climate change-induced sea level rise deserve compensation from major carbon dioxide emitters, according to Tuvalu Prime Minister Feleti Teo. Visiting Japan for the Island States Ocean Summit, Teo highlighted the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) July 2025 advisory opinion as a pivotal moment. This opinion affirmed that all nations have an obligation to address climate change, a "milestone achievement" that shifts the conversation from moral responsibility to legal commitment.

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We need to be compensated for damages that we suffered.

Teo stressed that island states, despite contributing minimally to greenhouse gas emissions, suffer disproportionately from climate change impacts. "We need to be compensated for damages that we suffered," he stated in an exclusive interview with the Mainichi Shimbun. The ICJ opinion, which characterizes climate change as an "existential problem of planetary proportions," suggests that nations failing to act could face legal responsibility. This sentiment was echoed by a large majority of the 193 member countries in the United Nations General Assembly, which adopted a resolution in support of the ICJ opinion in May 2026.

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So the conversation has kind of shifted from moral obligations to a legal commitment.

While the ICJ opinion and the UN resolution are not legally binding, Teo believes they can form the foundation for a future treaty establishing enforceable international measures. He expressed deep concern over the U.S. administration's decision to withdraw from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, calling it "a very major setback." Tuvalu, like many small island developing states, has historically looked to the U.S. for leadership on climate action.

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It’s a very major setback.

"Countries like Tuvalu have always looked to the U.S to set the example," Teo said. "I hope that bigger players like Japan and other European countries will be able to convince the U.S to … have a relook at their current policies on climate change." For Tuvalu, a nation heavily reliant on resource imports, transitioning to renewable energy is a top priority, and Teo hopes for Japanese assistance in achieving energy security. The government is also pursuing adaptive measures like raising coastal land and developing a digital nation in the metaverse to preserve its sovereignty should its physical territory be submerged.

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Countries like Tuvalu have always looked to the U.S to set the example.