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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.

The 2022 Report on the WHO-Civil Society Working Group to Advance Action on Climate and Health details the collaboration between the World Health Organization (WHO) and health civil society to integrate health considerations into global climate policy. The report highlights 2022 achievements, including coordinated submissions to the UNFCCC, advocacy for a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty, and the establishment of a WHO Health Pavilion at COP27. It outlines future goals for 2023 and 2024, including a proposed World Health Assembly (WHA) resolution on climate change, air pollution, and health.

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.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR) synthesizes the activities of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) regarding climate change during 2020 and 2021. It details the CRC's increasing focus on state obligations to mitigate climate change, the role of financial and business actors in environmental harm, and the development of a forthcoming General Comment on children's rights and the environment.

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.

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 UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) regarding climate change. It details the CRC's use of General Comments, the State reporting procedure, and the communications procedure to establish that States have legal obligations to protect children's rights—including the rights to life, health, and culture—against the impacts of global climate change.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law analyzes the June 2019 Climate Negotiations (SB-50) in Bonn, focusing on the integration of human rights into climate policies, the development of Article 6 mechanisms of the Paris Agreement, and the work of various UNFCCC constituted bodies.

This briefing analyzes the UN Sustainable Development Summit, which focused on the adoption of the "2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It examines the successful negotiation process led by the Open Working Group (OWG), initial national commitments to implementation, and outstanding requirements such as the development of indicators and the outcome of the Paris Climate Change Conference.

This briefing, published by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network in 2014, distils the findings of the IPCC's Fifth Assessment Report specifically for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). It outlines the observed and projected impacts of climate change on SIDS, including sea level rise, temperature increases, and the degradation of critical ecosystems like coral reefs. The document discusses the high economic costs of adaptation relative to SIDS' GDP, the risks of 'maladaptation', and the necessity of international cooperation and finance to avert existential threats to atoll nations.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the role of international carbon market mechanisms within the context of negotiations for a post-2012 climate change agreement. It reviews the existing Kyoto Protocol instruments—International Emissions Trading (IET), Joint Implementation (JI), and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)—and explores potential expansions or new mechanisms, such as sectoral crediting and REDD, to enhance cost-effectiveness and engage developing countries in mitigation efforts.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides an overview of the UNFCCC climate change negotiations held in Bonn from March 29 to April 8, 2009. It details the progress and points of contention across the four pillars of the Bali Action Plan—mitigation, adaptation, technology, and financing—as countries worked toward a comprehensive post-2012 climate agreement intended for adoption at COP 15 in Copenhagen in December 2009.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) details the outcomes of the UNFCCC climate change negotiations held in Bonn from March 29 to April 8, 2009. It outlines the progress made across the four pillars of the Bali Action Plan—mitigation, adaptation, technology, and finance—as parties worked toward a global post-2012 climate agreement intended for conclusion at COP-15 in Copenhagen in December 2009.

This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the financial requirements and potential mechanisms for climate change mitigation and adaptation in developing countries. It analyzes investment gaps, reviews existing funding sources under the UNFCCC and other multilateral initiatives, and evaluates various proposals for new funding streams, including market-based levies and institutional reforms, to support a post-2012 global climate regime.

This policy submission by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the challenges of aid delivery to Small Island Developing States (SIDS). It argues that while per capita aid is often higher for SIDS than for mainland developing countries, overall aid levels declined by over 50 percent between 1994 and 2004. The document proposes eight reforms to make aid more effective, including untying aid from donor procurement, harmonising policies across donors, and replacing GDP-per-capita assessments with vulnerability indices.

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 report summarizes a workshop held during COP19 as part of the Many Strong Voices (MSV) Programme. The dialogue focused on the challenges of climate-induced community-based relocation, specifically in the Arctic and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), emphasizing the need for participatory decision-making, international finance, and the protection of human rights and cultural identity.

This synthesis note, published by the Center for International Environmental Law and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, examines how United Nations human rights treaty bodies (HRTBs) use their state reporting procedures to define the obligations of States to respect, protect, and fulfil human rights in the context of climate change. The report focuses on the work of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), and the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) up to December 2017.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR) outlines the obligations of States under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) regarding climate change. It details how the CEDAW Committee addresses the disproportionate impact of climate change on women—particularly rural and older women—and emphasizes the necessity of gender-responsive climate policies, the participation of women in decision-making, and the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions to protect women's human rights.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights examines how the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) interprets state obligations under the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC Convention) in relation to climate change, focusing on General Comments and Concluding Observations.