Communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis are not asking for rescue. They are young Pacific Islanders who moved the world’s highest court, neighbors in Honduras defending their Indigenous rights to access clean water, and feminist organizers across the globe weaving together the knowledge that will carry us forward. Our partners are dismantling the systems that fuel this crisis by demanding accountability from the planet’s biggest polluters and are calling on all of us to build a stronger movement together.

In 2025, the International Court of Justice made history. For the first time, the world’s highest legal authority affirmed that every nation has a binding obligation to protect the climate. Those most active in burning fossil fuels must be responsible for their consequences.

The ruling does not enforce itself. Through the United Nations General Assembly, Vanuatu, alongside the Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, has proposed a resolution to operationalize the ICJ’s opinion and to begin holding governments accountable for their obligations. 

Will you join us in contacting the U.S. representative to the UN today in honor of Earth Day? We are demanding that the United States be on the right side of history, or at a minimum, step aside and let the world move forward. 

In Naarm (Melbourne), Australia, we are joining our partners from Pacific Rising to address the compounding impacts of the climate crisis, economic instability, and rising authoritarianism, which disproportionately affect women. We are not there to speak for them, but rather to amplify their voices as they speak for themselves from lived experiences as organizers.

While centering narratives of non-economic loss and damage, we are demanding that feminist and intergenerational leadership be recognized as a climate strategy and that gender justice funding remain sustainable.

Their testimonies are not a call for sympathy. It is a demand for accountability and a model for what decolonized resourcing looks like in practice.

In Tocoa, Honduras, a community has spent more than a decade defending the Carlos Escaleras National Park from illegal mining operations run by Lenir Perez and his Emco Holding conglomerate. The price of resistance has been profound, with eight water defenders imprisoned, and environmental advocate and beloved UUSC partner Juan Lopez being assassinated in September 2024. His case is still unresolved.

While Lenir Perez now faces charges for illegal resource extraction and aggravated damages, he continues to benefit from preferential treatment and economic influence. Despite being labeled a flight risk for Florida, a judge recently granted him bail without a travel ban. 

As the proceedings move toward the April 23 hearing, the public must demand transparency to prevent further manipulation of the legal system.

Deepen Your Understanding

For people of faith and conscience, ready to learn more.

Here are some resources for further justice education:

Our Approach to Loss and Damage – UUSC

• Learn about UUSC’s work with partners to contend with the effects of loss and damage across the world. We center mitigation, adaptation, and preservation to meet communities’ unique needs.

Earth Day Worship Service – UU Ministry for Earth

• Join UUMFE’s annual Earth Day Worship Service on April 22 at 8 pm EST, which is their most-attended event of the year. This year, our featured speakers include members of our UU Ministry for Earth community and special guests from the UU Animal Ministry.

Te Toa Matoa Educational Modules – UUSC

• Explore four ready-to-use modules on climate refugees, disability justice, and cultural preservation, grounded in UUSC’s partnership with Kiribati’s Te Toa Matoa project.

National Faith + Climate Forum – Blessed Tomorrow

• The National Faith + Climate Forum is one of the nation’s largest and most diverse gatherings at the intersection of faith and climate. Each year, it brings together more than 550 congregations and 30 faith traditions and denominations.

What Is ‘Loss and Damage’ from Climate Change? – World Resources Institute

• An updated overview of the Loss and Damage Fund’s current status, the gap between pledges and what frontline countries actually need. 

Young Heroes Lead Despite Climate Change – UUSC

• Our video, geared towards kids, showcases how, around the world, young people are rising as climate heroes.

Climate Justice: A youth guide to legal responsibility, policy action and accountability – United Nations

• Young people are leading climate action worldwide. This guide gives them the legal tools to turn advocacy into accountability.