Synthesis of Statements on Climate Change

The document reviews the 2022 activities of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), focusing on its Concluding Observations for the United States, France, and Cameroon. It highlights the Committee's concerns over the disproportionate impacts of climate change and extractive industries on racial and ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples. Additionally, it discusses the development of General Recommendation No. 37 on the right to health, noting civil society efforts to ensure the climate crisis and environmental racism are integrated into this framework, supported by findings from the IPCC and WHO.

• In 2022, the CERD issued three Concluding Observations (COBs) that mentioned climate change out of a total of twenty-six outputs.
• The CERD expressed concern regarding the United States over the disproportionate effects of pollution, natural disasters, and climate change on indigenous peoples and racial and ethnic minorities, specifically citing 'Cancer Alley' in Louisiana as an example of impacts from petrochemical and methanol complexes.
• The CERD provided specific recommendations to the United States to investigate environmentally polluting activities, provide remedies to victims, and consider moratoriums on the expansion or authorization of heavy industry facilities like petrochemical plants.
• The CERD recommended that France and Cameroon implement measures to protect the resources, territories, and traditional ways of life of indigenous peoples from the effects of climate change and extractive activities.
• The CERD is developing General Recommendation No. 37 on racial discrimination and the right to health; civil society organizations have urged the Committee to use this process to address the climate crisis and the disproportionate health impacts felt by communities facing racial and economic discrimination.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2023). Synthesis of Statements on Climate Change. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/CERD-Synthesis-of-Statements-on-Climate-Change-2023.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Synthesis of Statements on Climate Change. 2023. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/CERD-Synthesis-of-Statements-on-Climate-Change-2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Synthesis of Statements on Climate Change |date=2023 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/CERD-Synthesis-of-Statements-on-Climate-Change-2023.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2023synthesis, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Synthesis of Statements on Climate Change}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2023}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/CERD-Synthesis-of-Statements-on-Climate-Change-2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }