Island nations seek a way to sue big polluters over climate change that could leave some underwater

Two island nations battling rising sea levels and extreme weather such as hurricanes are taking a step they hope will pave the way to holding large greenhouse gas emitters accountable under international law.

The Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda and the Pacific nation of Tuvalu have registered a new commission with the United Nations, creating the possibility of claiming damages from major polluting countries through judicial means, such as the UN's International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

"Beyond the moral obligation of providing compensation, these countries also have a legal obligation to compensate," Gaston Browne, the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, said in an interview at the UN climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland. "Being on the frontlines, we have an obligation to act quickly to bring this senseless burning of fossil fuels to an end … so that we can have a sustainable planet."