Is Climate Change a Human Rights Issue?

July 13, 2015 – The United Nations is looking at climate change not just from the science perspective but as an issue of human rights. At a forum held in Geneva this month Bangladesh, the Philippines and other climate vulnerable nations around the globe adopted unanimously a resolution that states the following:

1. that climate change has contributed to the increase of both sudden-onset natural disasters and slow-onset events, and that these events have adverse effects on the full enjoyment of all human rights;
2. that urgent importance be placed on human rights obligations related to the adverse consequences of climate change for all, particularly in developing countries and its people whose situation is most vulnerable to climate change, especially those in a situation of extreme poverty, and deteriorating livelihood conditions;
3. progressively realizes the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and related policies, lessons learned and good practices;
4. conducts within existing resources (IPCC, WHO, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and others) a detailed analytical study on the relationship between climate change and the human right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health;
5. decides to remain seized of the matter.

Ambassador to The Philippines, Cecilia Rebong, stated “The adverse impact of climate change affects all. It chooses no country. It specifies no people. The actions to counter the adverse impacts should be global and closely coordinated.”

Couching climate change in terms of human rights is the latest cry for help from Developing World nations in the run up to the Paris climate conference in December of this year. Seeing climate through a human rights lens implies a moral obligation to address increasing carbon emissions as a violation of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights in which Article 3 states “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.” To remain “seized of the matter” seems appropriate.