In Re: National inquiry on the impact of climate change on the human rights of the Filipino People

ClientEarth argues that the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines has the jurisdiction to investigate the Carbon Majors because climate change threatens fundamental civil and political rights. The brief asserts that there is a linear causal relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, and that the Carbon Majors' emissions have contributed significantly to this process. It recommends that the Philippine government ratify the Paris Agreement and that the Carbon Majors publish business plans aligned with a warming limit of well below 2 degrees Celsius, in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

• The Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines is an investigative, non-judicial body with the power to conduct fact-finding inquiries and make recommendations, but it cannot settle legal disputes or determine legal liabilities.
• Climate change is identified as a human rights issue that interferes with the enjoyment of rights to life, liberty, property, and private and family life, particularly for disadvantaged communities in tropical regions.
• There is a scientifically established linear causal relationship between cumulative carbon dioxide emissions and the warming of the planet, meaning emissions from various sources contribute equally to global warming.
• Research by Richard Heede indicates that 90 Carbon Major groups of companies were responsible for 914.3 Gt of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions between 1854 and 2010, representing approximately 63 per cent of estimated global emissions since 1754.
• The brief argues for an 'enterprise theory of corporate personhood,' where the emissions of an entire corporate group are attributed to the parent entity, as this reflects economic reality and strategic control.
• Under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the Carbon Majors have a responsibility to avoid contributing to adverse human rights impacts and should implement due diligence processes to address the effects of their emissions.
• The Paris Agreement establishes a new international norm by aiming to keep global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius, which the brief suggests should be the threshold for determining 'dangerous climate change' and reasonable corporate behaviour.
• ClientEarth recommends that the Philippine government sign and ratify the Paris Agreement and comply with its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets.
• The brief recommends that Carbon Majors publish detailed business plans describing their operations in a world where warming is kept well below 2 degrees Celsius to demonstrate compliance with human rights responsibilities.

APA

ClientEarth (2016). In Re: National inquiry on the impact of climate change on the human rights of the Filipino People. https://www.clientearth.org/media/0tpku51n/amicus-curiae-brief-presented-by-clientearth-re-national-inquiry-on-the-impact-of-climate-change-on-the-human-rights-of-the-filipino-people-ce-en.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. In Re: National inquiry on the impact of climate change on the human rights of the Filipino People. 2016. https://www.clientearth.org/media/0tpku51n/amicus-curiae-brief-presented-by-clientearth-re-national-inquiry-on-the-impact-of-climate-change-on-the-human-rights-of-the-filipino-people-ce-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=ClientEarth |title=In Re: National inquiry on the impact of climate change on the human rights of the Filipino People |date=21 November 2016 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/0tpku51n/amicus-curiae-brief-presented-by-clientearth-re-national-inquiry-on-the-impact-of-climate-change-on-the-human-rights-of-the-filipino-people-ce-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{clientearth2016national, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{In Re: National inquiry on the impact of climate change on the human rights of the Filipino People}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2016}, month = nov, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/0tpku51n/amicus-curiae-brief-presented-by-clientearth-re-national-inquiry-on-the-impact-of-climate-change-on-the-human-rights-of-the-filipino-people-ce-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }