Pacific Climate Justice: From Student Idea to Global Campaign
In 2019, a small group of Pacific Island students transformed a classroom discussion on climate change into what became the Pacific climate justice movement. This week, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), often called the UN World Court, is set to respond to their historic call.
Cynthia Houniuhi, a leading voice behind this effort, recalls her childhood in the Solomon Islands with warmth and nostalgia. Her early memories include wading through the sea to reach school, planting sweet potatoes, and catching birds with her brothers. A trip to her father’s island of Fanalei revealed a harsh truth. Homes were already submerged by rising waters, forcing families to abandon their land.
Pacific Climate Justice and Rising Seas Awareness
This stark reality sparked Houniuhi’s passion for climate activism. The Solomon Islands and other low-lying Pacific states face extreme climate threats. Stronger storms and sea-level rise are displacing entire communities. Houniuhi’s curiosity and determination to seek answers pushed her to study law at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji.
During her third year, lecturer Justin Rose challenged the class to find ways to promote climate justice. The idea of seeking an advisory opinion from the ICJ emerged. It was a bold and unprecedented step for a group of students. Though hesitant at first, Houniuhi recognized the global scale of the crisis. She knew this was a fight worth pursuing.
Birth of Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change (PISFCC)
Determined to act, Houniuhi and 26 other students formed Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change (PISFCC) in 2019. With just 80 Fijian dollars raised through crowdfunding, they launched their first banner and began lobbying for support.
Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatu’s then Foreign Affairs Minister and a strong climate justice advocate, backed their campaign. Fueled by the youth climate movement inspired by Greta Thunberg, PISFCC connected with governments, NGOs, and activists across continents. By 2023, their persistence paid off. Pacific students climate justice A total of 132 nations co-sponsored a resolution for the UN General Assembly to seek the ICJ’s opinion.
Global Legal Battle for Climate Justice
The ICJ’s advisory opinion could become a landmark in international climate law. It will determine states’ legal obligations to mitigate climate change and outline consequences for failure. For vulnerable nations, this case offers a chance to hold major polluters accountable.
PISFCC worked closely with legal experts and youth groups like World’s Youth for Climate Justice. They guided nations in drafting submissions, developed handbooks, and raised global awareness. They also encouraged smaller states to participate and ensured their voices were heard.
A Powerful Voice in The Hague
In December 2024, Houniuhi and her team traveled to The Hague, overcoming financial challenges and visa hurdles. Wearing her family’s traditional rorodara headdress, she presented the Pacific students’ case. She highlighted how rising seas threaten their land, culture, and identity.
Over 100 nations delivered oral arguments during the hearings. Pacific and Caribbean states stressed the severe impacts of climate change on food security, livelihoods, and human rights. Major emitters like the US, Australia, and China countered that the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change should remain the primary legal frameworks.
The Road Ahead
Although the ICJ’s opinion will not be legally binding, it will strengthen future climate litigation. It will also influence global negotiations, especially at COP30 in Brazil later this year. For PISFCC, this campaign is far from over.
Houniuhi, now a law lecturer, plans to hand over leadership to the next generation of activists. “Some fights are worth fighting, even if the outcome is uncertain,” she says. The network of youth activists formed through this campaign continues to grow. Pacific students climate justice They remain bound by shared passion, resilience, and the hope of building a safer future for their islands.
