The mandate of the ICJ advisory opinion on climate change makes reference to states' obligations in relation to both current and future generations. This note discusses options in terms of how the Court might interpret the concept of future generations, including its definition and the possibility of extending the principle of harm prevention to include harm to future generations. This is discussed in conjunction with the principle of intergenerational equity (an integral component of sustainable development), which the Court could interpret in a manner which gives it more substance. In approaching these issues, the Court will need to be impartial in terms of the interests of developed and developing countries.