Australia’s Federal Court has ruled that the Commonwealth does not owe Torres Strait Islander communities a legal duty of care to protect them from the impacts of climate change or to finance adaptation measures. Justice Michael Wigney found that decisions on greenhouse-gas targets are matters of core government policy best left to Parliament, not the courts. The case was brought by traditional owners Paul Kabai and Pabai Pabai from the low-lying islands of Saibai and Boigu, which sit about 1.6 metres above sea level and are already experiencing coastal erosion, flooding and salt intrusion. The plaintiffs asked the court to compel the government to set stronger emissions targets so the Islanders would not be forced to abandon their homes and become “climate refugees.” While dismissing the negligence claim, the judge accepted evidence that sea levels in parts of the Torres Strait are rising almost three times faster than the global average and criticised past federal emissions goals—26% cuts by 2030—as not based on “the best available science.” He said the ruling should not be read as an endorsement of those “modest and unambitious” targets, warning that without stronger action the islands face a “bleak future.” The decision marks the first time an Australian court has considered whether the federal government owes citizens a duty of care on climate grounds. The plaintiffs and their supporters said they are reviewing the judgment and considering next steps.