ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the pros and cons of a human rights approach to environmental issues. In the face of climate change all three categories of human rights – civil and political rights; economic, social, and cultural rights; and collective rights – can be at risk. Environmental impacts, including heat waves, floods, storms, droughts, and exceptional weather events can – in extreme cases – threaten civil and political rights, like the right to life. Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, recognition for equal and inalienable rights has been understood as the foundation for justice. The language of human rights is strong and emphasizes the need for immediate political action – it cannot be easily ignored in contemporary politics. A human rights-based approach can be fruitful for assigning obligations. In many cases, these can be derived from the required implementation measures of the existing human rights treaties and instruments to which state parties have committed.
