The United Nations voted this week to affirm that countries have a responsibility to protect their populations from the impacts of climate change, with a significant majority of 141 votes in favor and only 8 against. The resolution, introduced by Vanuatu, urges nations to take proactive measures to mitigate climate and environmental damage, including managing emissions and adhering to their climate commitments. The U.S. was one of the eight nations opposing the resolution, alongside Belarus, Iran, Israel, Liberia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. The U.S. Mission to the U.N. criticized the resolution as an attempt to rewrite international law detrimental to American energy interests, although they noted some amendments were made to lessen its impact. The vote follows a previous ruling by the International Court of Justice, which stated that countries have a legal obligation to protect the environment from harmful emissions. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres praised the resolution, calling it a strong affirmation of international law and the urgent need for states to address the escalating climate crisis.