France, June 12 -- Vanuatu is using this week's UN Ocean Conference in Nice to demand climate justice ahead of a landmark legal opinion from the world's top court - with climate minister Ralph Regenvanu telling RFI that faster action to hold big polluters accountable is "a matter of survival" for his people.

The Pacific island nation is asking the International Court of Justice to clarify what countries are legally required to do to tackle climate change - and what the consequences should be when they fail.

"We want a 1.5 aligned world... because the science tells us that's what we need to stay within the livable bounds for our people," said Regenvanu.

The ICJ opinion, expected as early as next month, was requested by the UN General As...