This past weekend, experts and activists from around the world shared knowledge and stories about the devastating impacts of climate change on fundamental human rights, the obligations governments, corporations and individuals have to address the crisis, and solutions needed for a sustainable future.
After three days of dynamic and thought-provoking panels and keynotes at the inaugural Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit co-hosted by United Nations Human Rights and CU Boulder, the work now begins on moving the talk about the human rights crisis that climate change is to action.听
At the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 27) at Sharm El-Sheikh Egypt, the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance announced the launch of a groundbreaking initiative for rights-based climate action, the Human Rights Climate Commitments.
Inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other human rights instruments, the first draft of the commitments will be an outcome of the just-concluded summit at CU Boulder for which 4,300 people representing 99 countries registered to attend in-person and virtually.听Organizers are aiming to provide an update on the commitments in April and unveil them at COP28 in Dubai.
CU Distinguished Professor S. James Anaya, an expert in international human rights, summit steering committee chair and the former UN special rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous peoples, said he came away from the global summit 鈥渆nergized.鈥�
鈥淭hat is the sentiment I feel, and it is pretty prevalent among those who were panelists and keynote speakers and many in the audience: a renewed sense of resolve, as well as hope.鈥澨�
Anaya said the post-summit commitments will play a key role as an aspirational and prescriptive living document, including specific commitments that governments, corporations and educational institutions will be urged to make to prevent and minimize the harmful effects of climate change. The commitments will be periodically reviewed and updated to reflect the highest human rights standards and latest science.听
In her closing remarks, Human Rights Officer Therese Arnesen, of the UN Human Rights Office, said: 鈥淲e need to unite. We need to stand together to continue promoting human rights-based climate action. That鈥檚 what this summit is about. This is what the Human Rights Climate Commitments coming out of the summit is about, and I hope you will take with you some of the inspiration, despair and anger and excitement that I, at least, felt during the last three days.鈥�
In multiple sessions, panelists pointed out that it has been women, Indigenous people and activists from developing countries or the Global South who have pushed forth some of the most critical advancements in fighting climate change. That includes the Paris Agreement goal to limit global warming to, preferably 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels, and the recent establishment at COP 27 of a 鈥渓oss and damage鈥� fund for nations most vulnerable to the climate crisis.
Summit highlights
Former President of Ireland Mary Robinson called for a new women-led global climate justice movement, a feminine version of the male-led 鈥渕oonshot鈥� of the 1960s to hold the duty-bearers, including government and industry, to task for protecting the planet. 鈥淭hey said putting a man on the moon was impossible but it was achieved in eight years.鈥�
Volker T眉rk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, made a video appearance: 鈥淗uman rights are our compass guiding the decisions that need to be made around climate change. This alliance represents the power of change that we can do things differently. That one of the best parts of what makes us human is that we are endlessly creative.鈥�
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis kicked off the summit with a stark reminder that no corner of the globe is immune to the impacts of a rapidly warming planet. Less than one year ago, Boulder County suffered the most destructive fire in the history of the state, a rare wintertime blaze that burned more than 1,000 homes. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no denying that climate change is also a humanitarian crisis.鈥�
Sheila Watt-Cloutier, global advocate for indigenous rights and health and a leader focused on the impact of climate change on human rights, said: 鈥淚ndigenous wisdom is the medicine the world seeks to attain sustainability, and we鈥檝e got to start to tap into that wisdom. We can show the world about sustainability because we still rely on our environment, our lands, our water to sustain our way of life.鈥�
Kumi Naidoo, South African-born human rights and climate activist, former international executive director of Greenpeace International and secretary general of Amnesty International, said: 鈥淲e are at a moment in history when all of us must now take on a mantle of leadership. And we must do it in a way that energizes and motivates rather than saying 鈥業t鈥檚 too late. What鈥檚 the point of resistance?鈥欌��
Youth activist and poet Selina Leem, from the Marshall Islands, spoke of听 growing up in a place just 2 meters above sea level where global warming could literally mean the submergence of her homeland. 鈥淲e are not accepting of the idea of permanently relocating from our country. It is where it is and that is where we deserve听 to be.鈥�
Several panelists suggested that for industry to be able to fully respond to the climate change crisis, the global economy, including investors, must rethink the 鈥淢ilton Friedman mindset鈥� that success is inextricably tied to short-term profit. 鈥淭he actions we need to take may not be profitable in a narrow sense in the short-term, but if we don鈥檛 take those actions, human civilization itself is threatened,鈥� said Gillian Marcelle, CEO and founder of Resilience Capital Ventures, LLC.
Kera Sherwood-O'Regan (K膩i Tahu), Indigenous and disabled climate justice expert and community advocate from Te Waipounamu, the South Island of New Zealand, said: 鈥淟oss and damage getting across the line at COP27 is absolutely massive. It is critical that we give credit where it is due. They have not been given space by developed nations, it has happened because people have banged down the doors of those negotiation rooms.鈥�
Hilda Flavia Nakabuye, youth activist, Uganda, said: 鈥淭his is the time in history where humanity has to understand that we own the power that will change the world. For so long we have been looking to political will to make change and where has that gotten us? We have to stand up and hold each other鈥檚 hands and create the difference we so badly need.鈥�
Vivien Luk, executive director at WORK, an organization with a mission to accompany families in Haiti out of poverty through good, dignified work, said: 鈥淚 find hope in the number of tools, the expansion of tools and resources and strategies that we have in addressing climate change today. Even just with the 4,000 people who have signed up to be a part of this conference. It's incredible. It's an incredible force of hope and power. And also that the inclusion of human rights into this discussion, more and more of that is happening.鈥澨�
Naderev 鈥榊eb鈥� Sano, executive director of Greenpeace Southeast Asia, stressed that economics and law aside, human empathy will be key to achieving real progress: 鈥淟itigation can only go so far. The battle will be won or lost in the chambers of people鈥檚 hearts.鈥�
Elizabeth Robinson, director of the Grantham Research Institute: 鈥淔or children born today, their whole health outcomes are going to be defined by the extent to which we tackle climate change. If we allow emissions to continue as they are, we鈥檙e denying our children basic rights.鈥�
Full Coverage from the Summit
