Release of Mapping Report: On Climate Justice and Human Rights

Publish Date:

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

"The climate crisis is the greatest threat that humanity faces, affecting the enjoyment of all human rights. The solution to this crisis involves changing all systems globally which requires complex, systemic and profound actions. The climate crisis brings together and highlights other existing crises such as deep inequality, colonialism, patriarchy, impunity, corporate capture, loss of biodiversity and discrimination at all levels. Resolving this climate crisis requires reinventing the world as we know it, which is a historic task that requires an unprecedented massive effort of collaboration and coordination." [Astrid Puentes Riaño, Asociación Interamericana para la Defensa del Ambiente (AIDA)in ESCR-Net’s mapping report, ‘On Climate Justice and Human Rights’]

The Networkwide Project on Environment & ESCR has released a mapping report: On Climate Justice and Human Rights: Reflections from ESCR-Net members. This report synthesizes the evolving analysis of ESCR-Net members at the intersection of climate justice and human rights, documented through more than 40 direct interviews with members, as well as analysis emerging from pilot actions and collective work. It reflects/maps the different viewpoints of member organizations as well as individual members, which often intersect or coalesce in powerful ways.

Given that members across ESCR-Net, and organizations and activists beyond, often confront the structural drivers of the climate crisis using very different strategies, this report aims to support mutual learning and building shared analysis to inform collective work. It addresses four areas: the impacts and drivers of climate change; the value of a human rights framework in context of the climate crisis; what it means to adopt a climate justice approach; and a just and equitable transition. In conclusion, the report considers, in the face of all the intersecting crises we confront, key strategies and action towards realizing climate justice and human rights.

Building on this report as well as meetings and consultations with members over the last several months, the Networkwide Project on Environment & ESCR is currently prioritizing three areas of work: Climate Justice; Land & Oceans, Biodiversity Protection, and Human Rights; and the Right to a Healthy Environment. (For a summary of our plans in 2021-2022, please see HERE.) The Networkwide Project advances work with the leadership and active engagement of members through engaging in collective advocacy at the UN, regional forums, and alternative spaces; member to member capacity building, campaigns, and litigation.

This report was produced through the efforts and contributions of several members of ESCR-Net, including through the active leadership of the advisory group of the Networkwide Project on Environment & ESCR consisting of: Al-Haq, Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development, Asia Indigenous Peoples’ Pact, Comité Ambiental en Defensa de la Vida, Dejusticia, FIAN International, Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Green Advocates, Human Rights Law Network , Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense, International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific, Kairos- The Center for Religion, Rights and Social Justice, Lok Shakti Abhiyan, Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, World Forum of Fisher Peoples and Layla Hughes.