A court in The Hague has made an unprecedented ruling and ordered the Dutch government to cut carbon emissions by at least 25% within five years, reported The Guardian.

Three judges ruled that the Dutch government’s plan to cut emissions by just 14-17% compared to 1990 levels by 2020 was unlawful, due to the scale of the threat caused by climate change.

The ruling carries huge global implications and marks the first case of where a domestic court has ordered the government to accelerate curbs on climate change faster than those agreed in international treaties, reported Financial Times.

“Before this judgement, the only legal obligations on states were those they agreed among themselves in international treaties,” said Dennis van Berkel, legal counsel for Urgenda, the group that brought the suit.