THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE UN FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

This briefing note, produced by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) in collaboration with the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) and Inclusiva, examines the intersection of disability rights and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It provides a reference guide for governments and stakeholders, compiling relevant international legal frameworks and specific UNFCCC decisions to ensure that persons with disabilities are included in climate mitigation, adaptation, and disaster risk reduction efforts.

• Persons with disabilities, who make up approximately 15% of the global population, are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change due to systemic barriers in accessing healthcare, transportation, and humanitarian assistance, as well as higher levels of poverty and unemployment.
• Climate policies often fail to include persons with disabilities, leading to inaccessible public transportation in mitigation efforts and higher mortality rates during severe weather events because adaptation and disaster readiness initiatives frequently overlook their needs.
• The transition to a low-carbon economy presents an opportunity for increased employment for persons with disabilities, with an estimated 18 million new jobs in green technologies expected by 2030.
• The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), ratified by 180 countries, establishes obligations for states to ensure non-discrimination and the active involvement of persons with disabilities in the design and implementation of all policies and programmes.
• The UNFCCC process has increasingly recognized the rights of persons with disabilities, specifically within the Paris Agreement's preamble and various decisions regarding Action for Climate Empowerment, Adaptation, Capacity Building, and Loss and Damage.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE UN FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Disability-Rights-in-Climate-Action_Dec-2019.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE UN FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Disability-Rights-in-Climate-Action_Dec-2019.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE UN FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Disability-Rights-in-Climate-Action_Dec-2019.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndrights, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE UN FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Disability-Rights-in-Climate-Action_Dec-2019.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }