States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change

This briefing note by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social & Cultural Rights (GIESCR) reviews the 2023 outputs of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) regarding climate change. It details the Committee's focus on gender-responsive adaptation, the disproportionate impact of climate change on marginalized women, and recommendations concerning fossil fuel extraction and climate finance.

• In 2023, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) issued climate-related recommendations or questions to 35 out of 43 States it considered, making it the body with the highest number of climate-related outputs in its State reporting procedure for that year.
• The CEDAW emphasized the necessity of gender-responsive strategies to address climate change and environmental degradation, specifically focusing on integrating a gender perspective into disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation frameworks in 24 of its outputs. The Committee highlighted that rural women, women with disabilities, women living in poverty, migrant and refugee women, Indigenous women, and women of African descent experience more significant impacts from climate change.
• The Committee addressed climate mitigation and fossil fuel extraction in several outputs. It specifically called on Spain to integrate a gender perspective into mitigation policies and urged Norway to review its energy policies following the granting of 47 new oil and gas exploration permits in January 2023, including in the Arctic. It also required Germany to accelerate the reduction of fossil fuel utilization and greenhouse gas emissions, and asked Sao Tome and Principe to identify how the extractive oil industry impacts rural women.
• Regarding climate finance, the CEDAW urged Norway and Mauritania to support the creation and operation of a loss and damage fund under the UNFCCC. Additionally, the Committee required the Philippines and Timor-Leste to ensure women participate in the creation of this fund.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/HRTB-Synthesis-Note-2024_CIEL_GIESC_Committee-on-the-Elimination-of-Discrimination-Against-Women-CEDAW.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/HRTB-Synthesis-Note-2024_CIEL_GIESC_Committee-on-the-Elimination-of-Discrimination-Against-Women-CEDAW.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/HRTB-Synthesis-Note-2024_CIEL_GIESC_Committee-on-the-Elimination-of-Discrimination-Against-Women-CEDAW.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndstates, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/HRTB-Synthesis-Note-2024_CIEL_GIESC_Committee-on-the-Elimination-of-Discrimination-Against-Women-CEDAW.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }