The Contribution of Human Rights to the Effectiveness and Integrity of the Global Carbon Regime

While it is now widely accepted that climate change will impact on the enjoyment of human rights there is still considerable debate as to how this fact should influence international responses to climate change. ¹ The enjoyment of rights to life, health, adequate food, water and housing, and self-determination are all under threat from climate change, as well as from adaptation and mitigation measures taken to address it. Furthermore, there are also human rights concerns relating to the processes through which these measures are decided upon and implemented. It has been argued that we should have greater regard for human rights principles when developing the next phase of the global carbon regime in the hope of devising a framework which is better equipped to address these negative human rights impacts.