Summary of how climate change impacts and response measures are affecting the full and effective enjoyment of human rights; includes a summary of relevant activities and decisions taken at the Human Rights Council, UNFCCC and other policy processes.
Increased attention to the human dimensions of climate change, including in the current negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), can improve the likelihood that climate change-related measures will protect human rights. Accordingly, understanding and addressing the human consequences of climate change is a fundamental component of the climate change challenge. Moreover, linking the climate change negotiations and structures to existing human rights norms enables States to use indicators and mechanisms anchored in the well-established human rights system to address the challenges posed by the changing climate.
The linkages between climate change and human rights (CC&HRs) are beyond dispute. The challenge now lies in introducing a rights-based approach to the development and implementation of an effective and equitable solution to climate change.