Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines

07/01/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/01/2024 07:33

HRC56 Annual panel discussion on the adverse impacts of climate change on human rights EU Statement

United Nations Human Rights Council

56th Session

Annual panel discussion on the adverse impacts of climate change on human rights

1 July 2024

EU statement

The EU welcomes today's panel discussion which contributes to the work done by this Council to discuss and raise awareness on ways to minimize the adverse impact of climate change on human rights and livelihoods.

Managing climate risks is a necessary condition for improving living standards, fighting inequalities and protecting people. It is a matter of economic survival for rural and coastal areas, farmers, foresters and fishers. There is an urgent need to strengthen climate resilience in agri-food systems, especially in vulnerable countries, to enhance food security and livelihoods. Climate change is also impacting human health. In Europe alone, heat-related mortality has increased by 30% in the past 20 years.

The climate crisis with its increasing adverse impact on human rights threatens lives and livelihoods across the world and jeopardizes social systems and economic competitiveness. We can and must take steps to improve our societal and economic resilience in the face of climate change. National and international policymaking on reversing biodiversity loss and combating climate change needs to have human rights at the core.

The EU underlines the importance of enhancing the voices and full, equal and meaningful participation and leadership of women and young persons in decision making at all levels aimed to improve climate, energy, environmental, food and water policies. We also stress the importance of close cooperation with and protection of civil society, environmental human rights defenders, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, persons with disabilities and other persons in vulnerable situations, and their empowerment.

The EU and its Member States welcome the recent OECD report that confirmed that the USD 100 billion climate finance goal, mobilized from bilateral and multilateral channels, was met for the first time in 2022. They remain firmly committed to continue to deliver on the goal through to 2025 and they look forward to setting a new ambitious collective quantified goal at COP29. At COP28, the EU and its Member States pledged over half of the initial funding for the loss and damage fund to support vulnerable countries in overcoming the destruction caused by climate change.

Looking forward to a fruitful panel discussion, we would like to ask the panel to elaborate on ways to better integrate a human rights-based approach when developing climate policies and actions.