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

A statement by CIEL and Amnesty International to the Human Rights Council criticizing climate-altering engineering technologies (such as CCS and solar radiation modification) and certain decarbonization proposals for their risks to human rights and the environment. The statement advocates for the immediate phase-out of fossil fuels and a transition to renewable energy that respects Indigenous Peoples' consent and protects environmental defenders.

• Climate-altering engineering technologies, including carbon capture and storage (CCS), carbon dioxide removal (CDR), and solar radiation modification, are described as unproven at scale, energy intensive, and lacking scientific certainty. These technologies are noted to pose significant risks to the environment and human rights, including the release of toxic chemicals, and are seen as diversions from the necessary rapid reduction of greenhouse gas emissions via the immediate phase-out of fossil fuels.
• Certain decarbonization proposals fail to address the toxicity of industrial agriculture. Specifically, the use of carbon capture and storage in agrochemical production does not address the transgression of planetary boundaries caused by fertilizers and pesticides, and large-scale biofuel use is expected to increase the demand for energy crops and associated agrochemical use in monocultures.
• The statement asserts that State obligations to human rights require the phasing out of fossil fuels, scaling up of renewable energy, and increasing energy efficiency rather than implementing unproven technologies. This transition must respect ecosystems, incorporate the Free and Prior Informed Consent of Indigenous Peoples, and protect environmental human rights defenders.

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} }