Remedy and Reparations for Climate Harm

This fact sheet introduces a forthcoming report by the Center for International Environmental Law titled "Remedy and Reparations for Climate Harm: The Human Rights Case." It argues that the climate crisis is a human rights crisis and asserts that existing international legal frameworks already establish the right to remedy and the obligation of States and corporations to provide reparations for climate-related loss and damage.

• The climate crisis is characterized as a human rights crisis where extreme weather and slow-onset effects—such as sea-level rise, persistent drought, and rising temperatures—cause widespread human rights violations. These impacts disproportionately affect people in vulnerable situations due to intersecting forms of discrimination, exploitation, and historic marginalization.
• States have existing legal obligations under international law to prevent, minimize, and remedy foreseeable human rights violations caused by the climate crisis. Accountability for climate harm does not require new norms but rather the application of existing legal frameworks, including the duty of States to cease wrongful climate-destructive conduct and redress the harm they caused or contributed to.
• Legal obligations for climate remedy extend to corporations. States are required to regulate corporations within their jurisdiction to ensure they prevent and redress climate harm, while corporations also possess independent duties to do so. The 'polluter pays principle' suggests that industries driving the crisis should cover the costs of loss and damage, providing a basis for finance mechanisms to generate resources from polluting and fossil fuel industries.
• The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has failed to uphold the right to remedy due to a reliance on voluntary approaches and attempts to avoid liability. The document argues that UNFCCC loss and damage mechanisms should be restructured to align with reparations principles and human rights standards, including moving away from voluntary finance and allowing affected communities to access resources directly.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2024). Remedy and Reparations for Climate Harm. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Remedy-and-Reparations-for-Climate-Harm_One-Page_Sept2024.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Remedy and Reparations for Climate Harm. 2024. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Remedy-and-Reparations-for-Climate-Harm_One-Page_Sept2024.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Remedy and Reparations for Climate Harm |date=October 2024 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Remedy-and-Reparations-for-Climate-Harm_One-Page_Sept2024.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2024remedy, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Remedy and Reparations for Climate Harm}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2024}, month = oct, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Remedy-and-Reparations-for-Climate-Harm_One-Page_Sept2024.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }