Climate Change & Human Rights

The document examines the intersection of climate change and human rights, detailing how environmental changes and mitigation/adaptation efforts affect fundamental rights. It highlights the vulnerability of women, children, and indigenous peoples, and reviews key international milestones such as the Malé Declaration and the Cancun Agreements. The guide recommends establishing a Special Procedure on Climate Change and Human Rights and integrating human rights protections directly into the UNFCCC framework.

• Climate change manifestations, including rising sea levels, extreme weather, and changing precipitation patterns, directly threaten human rights such as the rights to life, health, housing, food, and water.
• Certain groups face disproportionate vulnerability: women often bear the burden of gathering food and water in drought-stricken areas, children are more susceptible to natural disasters and malnutrition, and indigenous peoples face threats to both their physical survival and spiritual identity due to their ties to nature.
• Climate change response measures, specifically mitigation and adaptation, can themselves infringe upon human rights if not implemented with a rights-based approach.
• The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and REDD+ programs pose specific risks to indigenous peoples and local communities, including potential displacement and the denial of free, prior, and informed consent regarding lands and territories.
• The Cancun Agreements represent a significant step by recognizing that Parties to the UNFCCC should fully respect human rights in all climate change-related actions and protect the participatory rights of affected peoples.
• The document recommends several institutional changes, including the creation of a Special Procedure on Climate Change and Human Rights, the development of a legally binding agreement by 2015 to protect people from climate harms, and the mainstreaming of human rights into UNFCCC bodies like the SBSTA and SBI.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). Climate Change & Human Rights. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/CC_HRE_8July2013.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Climate Change & Human Rights. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/CC_HRE_8July2013.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Climate Change & Human Rights |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/CC_HRE_8July2013.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndclimate, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Climate Change \& Human Rights}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/CC_HRE_8July2013.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }