States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change

The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) increasingly integrated climate change into its 2023 state reviews and released General Comment No. 26, which establishes the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment as implicit in the Convention. The CRC's work focused on state obligations for mitigation and adaptation, the regulation of private actors' contributions to environmental harm, and the protection of children's rights across various legal and procedural frameworks.

• In 2023, the CRC addressed climate change in twenty-five out of forty-two State review procedures, with a higher frequency of reviews for developed States compared to Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Islands Developing States (SIDS), and other developing countries.
• General Comment No. 26 (2023) affirms that the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is implicit in the Convention and essential for the enjoyment of other children's rights. It identifies key elements of this right as including a safe and stable climate, clean air, and healthy ecosystems.
• The CRC outlined immediate steps for states to realize the right to a healthy environment, including phasing out fossil fuels to ensure a fair and just transition, improving air quality, and transforming agriculture and fisheries.

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_GIESCR_Committee-on-the-Rights-of-the-Child-CRCpdf.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_GIESCR_Committee-on-the-Rights-of-the-Child-CRCpdf.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_GIESCR_Committee-on-the-Rights-of-the-Child-CRCpdf.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_GIESCR_Committee-on-the-Rights-of-the-Child-CRCpdf.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }