Search Climate Insights Directory

This research paper examines the human rights records of the BRICS nations, arguing that there is a significant gap between the human rights protections declared in their constitutions and their actual implementation. The authors express concern that the expansion of BRICS to include more autocratic regimes may create a safe haven for governments seeking to avoid Western-led human rights sanctions while pursuing economic and geopolitical dominance.

This statement from the Stockholm Environment Institute argues that the G20's green energy transition is at risk of failure unless the rights of Indigenous peoples are legally protected. It warns that ignoring these rights leads to 'green colonialism' and creates significant legal, financial, and reputational risks for governments and industries.

This fact sheet, published by the Institute for Economic Justice, SECTION27, and the Center for Economic and Social Rights, examines South Africa's social protection systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. It evaluates the government's response against the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), highlighting failures in providing an adequate standard of living, food security, and housing, while detailing recommendations from the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

This briefing paper by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and CARE International argues that climate change is a critical human rights challenge. It examines how climate impacts and the responses to them threaten fundamental rights and provides a set of policy recommendations to integrate a human rights-based approach into the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process.

This briefing, prepared by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and CARE International, argues that climate change is the greatest human rights challenge of the current era. It calls for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to integrate human rights protections into its policies, particularly as the international community negotiated the 2015 climate agreement. The document outlines how climate impacts threaten fundamental rights and provides specific policy recommendations to ensure that climate mitigation and adaptation efforts do not further violate human rights.

Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) expresses its formal opposition to the REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) system, arguing that it commodifies forests, violates the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities, and allows industrialized nations to avoid reducing fossil fuel emissions through flawed carbon offsetting mechanisms.

This fact sheet by Friends of the Earth International details the impacts of palm oil plantations developed by the Malaysian company Sime Darby in Liberia. It alleges that the company's land concessions violate Liberian laws and international human rights principles, leading to land grabs, deforestation, and the loss of local livelihoods. The document also identifies European financial institutions providing funding to Sime Darby and calls for the renegotiation of contracts to ensure community consent and environmental protection.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law analyzes the human rights implications of the 'Doha Gateway' decisions from the UNFCCC 18th Conference of the Parties. It argues that while the decisions do not explicitly reference human rights, the outcomes regarding mitigation ambition, loss and damage, REDD+, the Clean Development Mechanism, public participation, and gender have significant impacts on vulnerable populations.

This report, authored by the Association of Indigenous Village Leaders in Suriname (VIDS), analyzes the legal and institutional frameworks in Suriname regarding Indigenous Peoples' and Local Communities' Conserved Territories and Areas (ICCAs). It concludes that the state fails to legally recognize indigenous and tribal peoples as collectivities or acknowledge their collective rights to traditional lands and resources. This legal vacuum, combined with discriminatory legislation and the prioritization of 'public interest' for state-issued concessions, severely undermines the ability of these communities to govern their territories and conserve biodiversity. The report highlights a significant gap between international human rights standards—including a landmark judgment by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in the Saramaka case—and national implementation.

This workshop report, compiled by Nyambura Githaiga for the Institute for Security Studies, analyzes the regional dimensions of conflict in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. It examines the interconnectedness of political instability, human rights violations, and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW), alongside the role of natural resources in financing armed groups. The document evaluates the effectiveness of regional bodies such as the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and the East African Community (EAC) in promoting sustainable peace and managing forced displacement.

This executive summary, prepared by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, addresses the increasing violence and human rights abuses against environmental defenders in Mexico and Central America, specifically within the context of industrial mining.

This 2004 report by Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) argues that environmental rights are fundamental human rights, essential for survival, health, and dignity. It documents numerous global case studies where neoliberal economic globalization and corporate activities have led to the violation of these rights, including the displacement of indigenous peoples, toxic pollution, and the privatization of water. The document advocates for a framework of environmental justice, the recognition of new rights for climate refugees, and the enforcement of corporate accountability through legal mechanisms and international norms.

This research paper by the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD) examines the relationship between escalating sovereign debt in Africa and the subsequent erosion of human rights. The authors argue that high debt-servicing obligations force governments to implement austerity measures and cut spending on essential public services, thereby compromising basic needs and hindering the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The paper analyzes debt trends, the impact of various relief initiatives, and the role of civil society, ultimately calling for a human rights-based approach to debt management and the cancellation of debts for highly indebted countries.

This document is an amicus curiae intervention submitted by the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR) and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) to the High Court of Kenya. The intervention argues that the Lamu Port – Southern Sudan – Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) project, as planned, violates the Constitution of Kenya and various international treaties regarding the right to development, environmental protection, the prohibition of forced evictions, and the rights of indigenous peoples and cultural heritage.

This briefing, compiled by the Human Rights in Biodiversity working group, provides guidance on integrating a human rights-based approach (HRBA) into the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). It argues that an HRBA is a necessary condition for equitable and sustained biodiversity conservation and offers specific recommendations to strengthen the GBF's draft text, including explicit references to international human rights law, the protection of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs), and the empowerment of women and youth.

This document is a submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, provided by a coalition including Natural Justice and Forest Peoples Programme. It outlines the critical role of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) in biodiversity conservation, highlighting successful local practices, systemic barriers such as 'fortress conservation' and non-recognition of land rights, and the increasing risks faced by environmental defenders.

This report by LBH Bali, Trend Asia, and 350 Indonesia argues that the expansion of gas-based power infrastructure in Bali contradicts the province's clean energy goals and exacerbates the climate crisis. It details the environmental, health, and social risks associated with gas projects, highlighting a lack of meaningful public participation and the potential for structural dependency on fossil fuels. The authors advocate for a transition to Bali's significant renewable energy potential to achieve energy independence and mitigate climate impacts.