Vanuatu is a tiny island nation in the South Pacific Ocean|TUBS|CC BY-SA 3.0

The island nation of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean is confident to receive a legal opinion, backed by the United Nations, on what obligation other nations have to combat climate change.

This move will also allow the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague to understand the consequences of and for the nations that have caused global warming.

But the wording of the resolution is framed such that industrialized nations, responsible for historical global emissions, are not singled out.

An opinion by the ICJ would not be binding but would help establish an important legal context. US courts could cite non-binding legal opinions that can be used in legal proceedings worldwide.

The resolution is spearheaded by Vanuatu, which is a low-lying country acutely vulnerable to climate change.