Children’s Rights Obligations of States in the Context of Climate Change

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR) synthesizes the work of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) regarding climate change. It details the CRC's use of General Comments, the State reporting procedure, and the communications procedure to establish that States have legal obligations to protect children's rights—including the rights to life, health, and culture—against the impacts of global climate change.

• The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) has established that climate change is a primary threat to children's health and that States must prioritize children's health in their climate strategies. In 2016, the CRC further articulated that States have obligations to protect children's rights against global climate change, which necessitates "urgent and aggressive reductions in greenhouse gases, guided by the best available science."
• In September 2019, the CRC and four other human rights treaty bodies issued a Joint Statement asserting that failure to regulate activities contributing to climate change or to prevent foreseeable human rights harm could be a violation of States' human rights obligations. The statement calls for emissions cuts reflecting the "highest possible ambition," including the phasing out of fossil fuels and the regulation of private actors for harms caused both domestically and extraterritorially.
• Between 2008 and 2019, the CRC's focus on climate change in its State reporting procedure grew steadily, peaking in 2019 when 47% of reviewed States received a Concluding Observation (COB) on climate change. A disproportionate number of these COBs were directed at Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), which received 54% (22) of the total climate COBs.
• The CRC's climate-related recommendations to States are categorized into four main themes: adaptation, procedural rights, international cooperation, and mitigation. Adaptation was the most frequent focus (32 COBs), while mitigation was the least (10 COBs). Mitigation recommendations include phasing out fossil fuels, transitioning to renewable energy, and halting deforestation.
• The CRC emphasizes procedural rights, specifically the requirement for States to ensure the "full and meaningful participation" of children in climate and disaster decision-making. This includes incorporating climate change into school curricula and developing toolkits for public consultation with children.
• While the CRC has not yet issued decisions under its communications procedure regarding climate change, a significant petition was filed on September 23, 2019, by 16 children against Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, and Turkey. The petitioners allege that these G-20 members violated children's rights to life, health, and culture by perpetuating climate change and shifting the burden of decarbonization to future generations.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2020). Children’s Rights Obligations of States in the Context of Climate Change. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CRC.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Children’s Rights Obligations of States in the Context of Climate Change. 2020. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CRC.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Children’s Rights Obligations of States in the Context of Climate Change |date=2020 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CRC.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2020childrens, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Children’s Rights Obligations of States in the Context of Climate Change}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2020}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CRC.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }