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A statement by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and World’s Youth for Climate Justice (WYCJ) urging UN member states to support a resolution on May 20, 2026, to operationalize the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) Advisory Opinion on states' climate obligations.

This guide by the World Resources Institute explains the mechanisms, current regulatory status, potential benefits, and ecological risks of deep-sea mining. It highlights the tension between the demand for critical minerals for the energy transition and the significant knowledge gaps regarding the impact on deep-ocean ecosystems and global carbon cycles.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs advocates for global participation in the Global Solidarity Levy Task Force (GSLTF) to mobilize finance for climate action and sustainable development. It outlines 16 proposed tax options targeting undertaxed, high-emission sectors to address a significant global financing gap, urging developing countries to engage in the design and assessment of these levies to ensure equitable access to funds.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social & Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR) analyzes the 2023 activities of UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies (HRTBs) regarding states' human rights obligations in the context of climate change. It tracks the increasing frequency of climate-related references in state reporting procedures and examines specific themes such as fossil fuel extraction, the right to a healthy environment, loss and damage, and intergenerational equity.

This policy brief examines the barriers to inclusive clean energy transitions in low-income economies, emphasizing that without intentional policy design, these transitions risk reinforcing existing socioeconomic and gender inequalities. It highlights significant financing gaps, implementation barriers, and the systemic marginalization of women, while providing recommendations for the G20 to facilitate knowledge sharing and innovative financing to support vulnerable populations.

This toolkit, developed by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), provides a framework for States and stakeholders to integrate human rights obligations into the planning, content, and implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.

This practitioner's guide, published in November 2022 by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), provides a framework for integrating human rights into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. It outlines recommendations for states to align their climate ambitions with international human rights obligations, emphasizing inclusive planning, gender equality, indigenous rights, land tenure, and a just transition for workers.

This research paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute assesses international development finance for nature-based solutions (NbS) to climate change from 2016 to 2020. Using OECD DAC data, the authors identify a declining trend in climate finance that also targets biodiversity objectives and highlight significant funding gaps for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The paper concludes that current financial reporting is insufficient to verify whether these investments deliver tangible biodiversity benefits.

The 2021 Climate, Environmental, and Energy Congressional Hearings Tracker is a fact sheet produced by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI). It provides a comprehensive list of hearings held by various House and Senate committees throughout 2021 that focused on climate change, energy transition, environmental protection, and infrastructure resilience.

This fact sheet provides guidance on Adaptation Communications (ADCOMs) under the UNFCCC, explaining their purpose, voluntary nature, and flexible submission options. It specifically details how countries can align ADCOMs with National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes to reduce reporting burdens and provide input for the first global stocktake.

This research paper analyzes the first 29 long-term low greenhouse gas (GHG) emission development strategies (LTSs) submitted to the UNFCCC by June 2021. The authors identify common trends in midcentury targets, mitigation modeling, sectoral transitions, and governance frameworks, noting a significant shift toward net-zero goals and a broader focus on societal transformation beyond simple mitigation modeling.

This report presents recommendations from civil society and Indigenous Peoples experts regarding the creation of a new UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Climate Change. Based on six regional consultations involving 157 participants from 55 countries, the document outlines the rationale for a dedicated mandate to address the holistic impact of climate change on human rights and the potential role of such a rapporteur in increasing accountability and supporting vulnerable communities.

This report presents recommendations from civil society and indigenous experts regarding the proposed creation of a UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and climate change. Based on regional consultations across 55 countries, the document argues that a dedicated mandate is necessary to ensure a coordinated, rights-based approach to climate action and to hold state and non-state actors accountable for climate-related human rights violations.

This report presents recommendations from civil society and indigenous peoples regarding the creation of a UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Climate Change. Based on regional consultations across six areas, the document argues that a dedicated mandate is necessary to ensure a coordinated and global approach to the human rights impacts of the climate crisis, supplementing existing ad hoc mechanisms within the UN Human Rights Council.

The NAP Global Network 2020–2021 Progress Report details the activities of a network dedicated to supporting developing countries in formulating and implementing National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). During the reporting period (December 2020 to November 2021), the Network shifted toward providing rapid, short-term technical assistance via its Country Support Hub and focused on integrating gender, health, and finance into adaptation planning to accelerate climate-resilient recovery.

This report analyzes the evolving jurisprudence of UN human rights treaty bodies (HRTBs) from 2008 to 2019, concluding that States have legal obligations under human rights treaties to implement ambitious climate mitigation (including phasing out fossil fuels), ensure inclusive adaptation, and provide international cooperation. Key developments include a 2019 joint statement by five HRTBs and the Human Rights Committee's recognition that climate change threatens the right to life, potentially triggering non-refoulment obligations in deportation cases.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR) synthesizes the work of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) regarding climate change up to 2020. It details the Committee's use of General Recommendations, Joint Statements, and the State reporting procedure to establish that States have human rights obligations to protect women from climate-related harms and ensure their participation in climate policy.

A briefing by the Climate Action Tracker (CAT) providing a global temperature update as of December 2019, highlighting a significant gap between current government pledges and the Paris Agreement goals, while detailing trends in coal, natural gas, and renewable energy.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics summarizes the IPCC's Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, detailing the accelerating degradation of polar regions, oceans, and mountain ecosystems. It highlights the irreversible nature of some changes, the risks to global sea levels and water security, and the resulting threats to biodiversity and human livelihoods.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute examines the relationship between Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Long-Term Strategies (LTSs) under the Paris Agreement. It argues that aligning these two planning tools—one focused on short-to-medium term commitments (typically 10-15 years) and the other on mid-century visions (approximately 30 years)—is essential to avoid locking in carbon-intensive infrastructure and to ensure efficient use of government resources.