Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes

The statement argues that climate-altering engineering technologies, such as carbon capture and storage and solar radiation modification, are unproven at scale and pose significant risks to human rights and the environment. It further contends that decarbonization proposals often fail to address the toxic impacts of industrial agriculture and that the only viable pathway to avoid catastrophic climate change is the immediate phase-out of fossil fuels combined with a human-rights-respecting transition to renewable energy.

• Climate-altering engineering technologies, including carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon dioxide removal, are described as energy intensive and unproven at scale, with documented risks to the environment and human rights, including the release of toxic chemicals.
• Solar radiation modification lacks scientific certainty regarding efficiency and may negatively impact the enjoyment of human rights; such technologies are seen as diversions from the necessary rapid reduction of greenhouse gas emissions via the phase-out of fossil fuels.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2023). Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/HRC54-Statement-UNSR-toxic-report-.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes. 2023. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/HRC54-Statement-UNSR-toxic-report-.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes |date=19 September 2023 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/HRC54-Statement-UNSR-toxic-report-.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2023interactive, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/HRC54-Statement-UNSR-toxic-report-.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }