Vanuatu's climate minister has warned Australia that approving the extension of Woodside's massive North West Shelf gas project could be in breach of a landmark International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling on climate change, saying the federal government needs to bear the judgement in mind when it makes a final decision.

The warning came in the wake of Pacific leaders signing a significant treaty to formally establish the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF), a new fund designed to smooth the region's access to climate finance.

Not long after the federal election, Environment Minister Murray Watt gave conditional approval for the North West Shelf to have its working life extended to 2070.

The government and Woodside have been in negotiations on environmental conditions since then.

PM defen

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