Human Rights and Climate Change : A Review of the International Legal Dimensions

Abstract

The study includes a conceptual overview
 of the link between climate impacts and human rights,
 focused on the relevant legal obligations underpinning the
 international law frameworks governing both human rights and
 climate change. As such it makes a significant contribution
 to the global debate on climate change and human rights by
 offering a comprehensive analysis of the international legal
 dimensions of this intersection. The study helps advance an
 understanding of what is meant, in legal and policy terms,
 by the human rights impacts of climate change through
 examples of specific substantive rights. It gives a legal
 and theoretic perspective on the connection between human
 rights and climate change along three dimensions: first,
 human rights may affect the enjoyment of human rights.
 Second, measures to address human rights may impact the
 realization of rights and third, that human rights have
 potential relevance to policy and operational responses to
 climate change, and may promote resilience to climate
 change, including in developing countries in a way that may
 help sustainable development. This study effectively
 consolidates knowledge from the fields of international
 human rights law, international law governing climate change
 and international environmental law, building on the
 existing work of the United Nation (UN) office of the high
 commissioner on human rights, the UN human rights council
 and the international council on human rights policy.
 Although it maintains a legal focus, the study has benefited
 from the input of a host of international experts from other
 disciplines as well.