Human Rights and the Climate Crisis

Undergraduate

As climate change takes a mounting toll on the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting “climate resilience” have become, arguably, the most pressing challenges of our era. This seminar examines the climate crisis through the lens of human rights. How is climate change impacting people’s rights? And how can advocacy for people’s rights contribute to efforts to address climate change? We explore the scientific, political, and legal bases for attributing responsibility for climate impacts to governments and corporations, examine how international human rights norms obligate them to address these impacts, and assess the strategies, tactics, and tools employed by rights advocates to compel them to meet these obligations. More broadly, we consider how the exigencies of the climate crisis could ultimately undermine—or actually strengthen—the international human rights regime. Students are encouraged to question and critique positions taken by a range of climate activists, while simultaneously equipping themselves with the knowledge and analytical tools necessary to advocate effectively for ambitious, rights-respecting climate action. SO Th 4pm-5:55pm