Concept Note

States - at all level - have a human rights obligation to prevent the foreseeable adverse effects of climate change and ensure that those affected by it, particularly those in vulnerable situations, have access to effective remedies and means of adaptation to protect their lives, rights and dignity. The Preamble of the Paris Agreement to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change makes it clear that all States "should, when taking action to address climate change, respect, promote and consider their respective obligations on human rights". So, in the face of the exponentially increasing impacts on human rights, what role can local and regional governments play in the protection and promotion of human rights by fighting against climate change, biodiversity loss and implementing the right to a clean, safe and healthy environment? How can cities ensure that mitigation and climate change responses do not negatively affect human rights? What solutions exist when cities are quicker to respond to this global emergency than national authorities are? How can global discussions benefit from the local rights-based responses to the triple planetary crisis?