ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how climate change issues have been addressed under the main regional human rights systems in Europe, Africa and the Americas. It provides an overview of the regional human rights systems in the world and the jurisprudence developed by them in relation to environmental rights. Three regions of the world have a human rights system in place: Europe, the Americas and Africa. The chapter describes the three human rights systems and their jurisprudence related to environmental rights, which may be useful in relation to climate litigation. It discusses the seminal case filed before the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights in 2005 by the Inuit of the US and Canada against the United States – the then highest emitter of greenhouse gases. The chapter discusses other action that regional human rights bodies have taken in relation to climate change. Regional human rights systems have been the foci of action relating to environmental issues.
