An integrative human rights approach to climate justice
Policy paper
2023
ECCHR’s work on climate justice is guided by two assumptions. Firstly, we understand the climate crisis as a complex, multidimensional global phenomenon, which constitutes a major risk to the lives of billions of humans, as well as nonhuman species and ecosystems around the globe. Climate change has already led to widespread adverse impacts and losses and damages affecting humans and nature, and threatens to do so even more in the future. Many rightfully see the climate crisis as the greatest threat ever to human rights. Secondly, our work is based on the understanding that the struggle for climate justice cannot be limited to reducing emissions, but must actually address the root causes of the climate crisis. This includes challenging the legacy of colonial practices, along with the current hegemonic economic model that relies heavily on fossil fuel energy and the exploitation of natural and human resources, primarily in the Global South. Against this background, this position paper outlines three dimensions of the climate crisis where, in our view, a human rights-based approach seems most urgent, and which also frame ECCHR’s focus areas in this field.
