Human rights as a compass for transitioning away from fossil fuels in a just, orderly and equitable manner

31 March 2026 | Index Number: IOR 40/0863/2026 | First published: here

This submission in response to the UNFCCC COP30 presidency’s invitation argues that a just transition away from fossil fuels must be explicitly anchored in human rights law and principles; the goal of limiting global temperatures to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels; the “polluter pays” principle; and equity. It must recognize that the climate crisis is, at its core, a human rights crisis whose impacts fall disproportionately on marginalized individuals and groups and thus must be tackled as an issue of climate justice that interrogates the root causes of the climate crisis and how human-induced climate change builds on and magnifies inequalities.