Human rights and climate change symposium - day 1

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9th human rights and science symposium - Day 1 “Effects of Climate Change on Human Rights”

About this event

The Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland’s National Academy, is delighted to host and co-organise the 9th human rights and science symposium, on this occasion ‘human rights and climate change’, as part of a series managed by the Human Rights Committee of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing humanity, as it already affects temperatures, hydrologic conditions, ecosystem functioning, and agricultural productivity in many regions. These impacts constitute a serious interference with the exercise of fundamental human rights, such as the rights to life, health, water, food, housing, and an adequate standard of living. Most vulnerable groups whose fundamental rights are already at risk are particularly affected. Therefore, we must embed human rights discussions in our responses to climate change. More conversation is needed that connects human rights and climate change, both in academic and research circles and amongst the wider public, to enhance climate justice and to strengthen climate resilience. The Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Human Rights Committee of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina continue to contribute to global thinking on this matter.

During the symposium, experts from the fields of science, politics and society will discuss how climate change impacts human rights and what measures are possible and needed to strengthen the human rights of those affected. We will look to address implications for climate change research and look forward to welcoming an international audience to interactive sessions with keynote speakers and panellists.

Join us virtually before the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) commences the following week (1–12 November 2021) in Glasgow city.

This symposium occurs over two days. On Friday 29 October, the session examines“Responses to the Human Rights Implications of Climate Change”.

Featuring talks from:

• Dunja Mijatović, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights - Climate change, human rights and the role of environmental defenders and the academia
• Dr David R. Boyd, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment - The climate crisis is a human rights crisis
• Professor Tahseen Jafry, Director for Centre of Climate Justice, Glasgow Caledonian University - Climate justice means looking beyond loss and damage
• Professor Dr Gabriele Hegerl FRSE and Member of Leopoldina, Professor of climate system science, University of Edinburgh -Impacts of climate change on human rights
• Dr Leslie Mabon, Lecturer in environmental systems, the Open University, Young Academy of Scotland member - Just adaptation to climate change in Scotland and beyond: the right to a healthy environment and the right to fair and decent work
• Children's Voice Project, Young Academy of Scotland

Agenda
13:30 -14:15

• 13:30 | Welcome by Professor Marcel Jaspars FRSE, Vice-President International, Royal Society of Edinburgh and Professor Dr Hans-Peter Zenner, Human Rights Committee, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
• 13:40 |Dunja Mijatović, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights
• 13:50 | Dr David R. Boyd, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment
• 14:05 | Discussion
• 14:15 | Comfort break

14:40 -15:04

• 14:40 | Professor Tahseen Jafry, Director, Centre for Climate Justice, Glasgow Caledonian University
• 14:48| Professor Dr Gabriele Hegerl FRSE and Member of Leopoldina, Professor of climate system science, University of Edinburgh
• 14:56 | Dr Leslie Mabon, Lecturer in environmental systems, the Open University, Young Academy of Scotland member
• 15:04 | Children's Voice Project, Young Academy of Scotland

15:08 - 15:45

• 15:08 | Panel discussion with all speakers

Programme

Climate change, human rights and the role of environmental defenders and the academia
Dunja Mijatović

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights

Climate change and environmental degradation have a pronounced negative impact on the enjoyment of basic human rights and freedoms. Conversely, those who act to protect the environment and to prevent climate change – “environmental human rights defenders” – contribute to the protection of our human rights. Members of academia have a special role to play in broadening the public understanding of these links and their many dimensions, in communicating scientific findings on the effects of climate change, and in leading the fight against climate change disinformation. They are also singularly well placed to uphold the work of environmental human rights defenders by helping to safeguard the public’s freedom of assembly, facilitating environmental litigation, promoting the democratic participation of children and youth, and furthering education on environmental matters.

The climate crisis is a human rights crisis Dr David R. Boyd

UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment

We are living in a climate emergency, as confirmed by the latest IPCC report. Scientists are calling for rapid, systemic and transformative changes. Yet despite three decades of commitments under the UNFCCC, emissions continue to rise. Environmental law has failed, so there is an increased reliance on human rights law in an effort to hold governments and businesses accountable. What is the progress thus far from using a rights-based approach, what is the potential, and what problems might arise?

Climate justice means looking beyond loss and damageProfessor Tahseen Jafry

Director, Centre for Climate Justice, Glasgow Caledonian University

The world has seen a dramatic increase in climate-related disasters over the last decades and the implications for climate-induced migration are clear.

The most common threats are flooding, natural disaster, heatwaves in the global south but the trend is changing with impacts being felt in the global north too. These impacts are resulting in people being left distraught and broken. The focus of this talk is centred around ‘going beyond repairing damaged infrastructure to repairing people and restoring their human rights’.

Impacts of climate change on human rightsProfessor Dr Gabriele Hegerl FRSE, Member of Leopoldina

Professor of climate system science, University of Edinburgh

Climate change has already significantly changed the climate in many regions and is expected to continue to do so, and more so if we fail to strongly limit carbon emissions. These changes have already lead to increase risk of extreme events and to changes away from climate envelopes experienced by society. Tropical regions are expected to show higher temperatures, sometimes in ranges that are dangerous to human life, and recent wildfire events have led to dangerous levels of air pollution. Fire and floods have also killed people and destroyed settlements. In Arctic regions, climate change including in sea ice may affect both wildlife and the culture of indigenous populations.

Just adaptation to climate change in Scotland and beyond: the right to a healthy environment and the right to fair and decent workDr Leslie Mabon

Lecturer in environmental systems, the Open University, Young Academy of Scotland member

As well as limiting the extent and severity of climate change through emissions reductions, countries also have an obligation to plan for adapting to the climate impacts society is already locked into. In this contribution, I argue that ensuring human rights through climate adaptation has been a critical but under-studied area for Scotland and other temperate locations globally. I argue that to safeguard a right to a healthy environment, planning needs to start now for the more contentious aspects of climate adaptation that lie ahead (and are already happening globally), such as managed retreat or planned relocation of communities. Conversely, I also suggest the adaptation challenge offers significant potential to support the right to fair and decent work, by upscaling construction and nature-based interventions that have the potential to reduce harm.