Climate change presents one of the most significant governance and legal challenges of the twenty-first century, particularly for vulnerable states whose adaptive capacity remains constrained by institutional, financial and regulatory limitations. While international climate agreements have established important frameworks for mitigation and adaptation, the translation of these commitments into effective governance systems remains uneven across jurisdictions. This article examines how legal tools, institutional capacity and governance innovation can strengthen climate justice and resilience through a multi-level system of climate governance. Drawing on doctrinal legal analysis and jurisprudential scholarship, the study examines the evolving architecture of climate law across international, national and local governance systems. It analyses key developments within the global climate regime, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, alongside emerging climate litigation and advisory jurisprudence from international and domestic courts. Particular attention is given to the role of national climate legislation, including Nigeria’s Climate Change Act, and the growing significance of subnational and community-based governance initiatives in implementing climate adaptation and resilience strategies. The article argues that climate justice cannot be realised through international agreements alone but requires an integrated legal architecture in which international norms, domestic legislation and local governance systems operate in mutually reinforcing ways. It demonstrates that effective climate governance depends on robust legal frameworks, transparent regulatory institutions and participatory governance mechanisms capable of addressing both mitigation and adaptation challenges. By integrating environmental justice theory, sustainable development theory and polycentric governance approaches, the article advances a jurisprudential framework for understanding how law can support equitable climate transitions. It concludes that strengthening legal accountability, improving climate finance governance and enhancing institutional capacity are essential for advancing climate resilience and ensuring that vulnerable states can participate effectively in the global transition toward sustainable and low-carbon development.