Abstract

From sudden events such as severe weather events and floods to slow onset events such as sea level rise and desertification, it is becoming increasingly clear that climate change will have a range of adverse impacts on many of the rights protected under human rights law. As a global problem, no state or community will be spared by these adverse consequences, but the impacts will be disproportionately borne by poorer countries and those people who are already in a vulnerable position such as, inter alia, women, children, the poor, and the elderly. Transitioning to sustainable energy that is necessary to address climate change also has human rights implications. In this presentation I will discuss the human rights and justice implications of climate change and sustainable energy.