As the international community becomes more serious about addressing climate change, there has been increased attention put on the financial resources needed to help developing countries mitigate and adapt to climate change. This climate finance has implications for the full range of human rights, including the rights to life, health, food, water, housing, and culture. For example, the construction of large-scale hydroelectric dams has raised serious human rights concerns with respect to the forced displacement and relocation of local communities, and the loss of land and other means of subsistence.

CIEL advocates for a human rights-based approach to climate finance, particularly at climate finance mechanisms including Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+), the Clean Development Mechanism, Green Climate Fund, and Global Environment Facility, to ensure that countries avoid or minimize human rights impacts of mitigation and adaptation initiatives, and to promote sustainable and equitable low-carbon development.