This course offers an in-depth examination of the relationship between the climate crisis and human rights. The course will cover why and how the climate crisis is a prominent human rights issue globally and will offer tools to critically evaluate the mutual supportiveness and possible tensions between human rights and climate action.
The course has two parts: Part I explores the theoretical and historical discussions on the interrelationship between climate change and human rights (law). It includes a brief overview of the history of the development of human rights norms and institutions, the science and politics of climate change, the different interpretations of what climate justice entails, the differentiated impacts of the climate crisis on human rights, the impacts of climate response measures on human rights and the interface between the just transition to a low carbon society and human rights.
Part II focuses on how institutions and actors engage with human rights and climate crisis interface. It includes the evolution of the inclusion of human rights in the international climate regime as well as the inclusion of climate change in the international human rights regime, climate litigation and human rights, social and legal mobilisation for climate action through human rights, corporate climate accountability and human rights and the situation of environmental defenders.
This course is for 2nd year MIA, MPP and MDS students only.
