The United States has diverged from the rest of the world in its stance on climate responsibility, with a stark contrast to international law. The International Court of Justice recently ruled that states have binding legal obligations to protect the climate system and failing to do so is an internationally wrongful act.
In a surprising move, the US government announced plans to rescind a crucial piece of legislation that supports efforts to combat climate change. This 2009 Environmental Protection Agency finding classifies greenhouse gas emissions as endangering public health and qualifying as harmful pollution. The ruling underpins many key actions taken by the executive branch to reduce carbon dioxide and methane emissions.
The divergence between US and global policies is “a starker picture” than any previous scenario, according to human-rights attorney Lotte Leicht, who works for Climate Rights International. Climate expert Nikki Reisch of the Center for International Environmental Law also agrees that the situation highlights a “complete separation of worlds.”
Source: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2025/08/us-climate-liability/683797