Julian Aguon and Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change win 2025 Right Livelihood Award

Photo Credit : SPC/Ray Campbell

Julian Aguon, together with Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, won the 2025 Right Livelihood Award in recognition of their leadership in advancing climate justice at the international level. The award honors their collective efforts to secure a historic advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice clarifying states’ obligations in respect of climate change.

The citation recognized the role of youth leadership, legal advocacy, and Indigenous knowledge in reframing climate change as a matter of international legal responsibility. Through coordinated advocacy before the United Nations General Assembly and the World Court, Aguon and Pacific youth advocates helped elevate the voices of frontline communities most affected by climate impacts.

Often referred to as the “Alternative Nobel Prize,” the Right Livelihood Award has historically recognized individuals and movements that have reshaped global norms, including environmental defenders, human rights advocates, and democratic reformers. This recognition places Pacific-led climate advocacy within that tradition, underscoring the growing influence of island communities in shaping the future of international law and global climate accountability.