Egypt will host the 27th assembly of the Conference of the Parties (COP) this month. Although this is a meteorological event, human rights issues are also discussed, a sensitive issue for the COP host, Egypt and many other countries, especially China. While climate replacement has vital human rights dimensions, there are considerations that linking climate policy to human rights (particularly political freedom and minority remedy) can hinder climate discussions at the COP and beyond.
Climate celebrities like Greta Thunberg have joined the discussion about climate and human rights. Many supported a petition by human rights organizations that “effective climate action is not imaginable without an open civic area. “As host of COP27, Egypt risks jeopardising the good fortunes of the summit if it does not urgently address the ongoing arbitrary restrictions on civil society. . . We also call on Egypt to end the prosecution of activists and civil society organizations and create a specific area for civil society, adding human rights defenders. to paintings without fear of intimidation, harassment, arrest, detention or any other form of retaliation. . . “
Greenpeace has not signed this petition. As a result, several meteorological teams have edited this “greenwashing of a police state”. In response, Mike Townsley of Greenpeace International said: “Our paintings in Egypt pose a significant threat to the protection of staff who will continue to paint there long after COP27. “It’s over. It is our duty not only to protect them, but also to prevent the expansion of threats facing Egypt’s developing environmental movement. Balancing the protection of our staff and partners with the desire to speak up is not easy.
Climate activists want to decide whether to scale up their advocacy for non-climate issues or restrict their advocacy for decarbonization (and adaptation). The first means that climate advocates deserve to link climate policy to non-climate issues, namely human rights. The latter, on the other hand, means that activists deserve to focus maximum of their efforts on accelerating decarbonization and investment in adaptation. Of course, activists will probably do both, but the basic choice is to allocate resources to express issues.
Focusing advocacy around human rights
Climate substitution has human rights dimensions. The existing business model, which is based on burning fossil fuels, also imposes disproportionate prices on traditionally marginalized communities. Disadvantaged and low-income families have fewer resources to adapt to climate substitution. They will be disproportionately affected by excessive storms, prolonged droughts and new diseases.
Given the multiple dimensions of equity, climate advocates are stepping up their efforts to work with human rights, labor rights, women’s rights, and public welfare groups. States will need to guarantee the rights of others everywhere, especially at-risk groups, and pay attention to the developing ranks of young climate activists around the world. meteorological action.
Strategically, linking climate to human rights makes sense because unity is strength. Moreover, by linking climate to major liberal concerns, it will be noted that climate substitution competes for attention and resources with other urgent liberal priorities.
If meteorological action comes to the defense of human rights, meteorological teams hold governments accountable for rights violations. Since Egypt is an authoritarian country with a poor human rights record, weather teams use COP27 to “name and humiliate” the Egyptian government. In November 2023, COP on the 28th will be held via the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Dubai, which also has a poor human rights record. Thus, the defence of human rights will not be limited to Egypt; it is expected to expand to the UAE and beyond.
Separating the defense of human rights
UNEP’s recent report on emissions gaps notes worryingly that if existing emission trajectories were to continue, global temperatures could reach 2. 5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. That’s well above the ambitious 1. 5 degrees Celsius target set in the 2015 Paris Agreement. And the global is also falling when it comes to climate adaptation.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resulting sharp increases in force costs have created another challenge for decarbonization. The invasion led countries to seek the security of force. Rising force costs are encouraging investment in fossil fuels around the world. However, at the same time, emerging energy costs are making renewables more competitive for both power generation and transportation. Therefore, there is an opportunity to announce decarbonization. This means that the climate movement is trying to convince business leaders and policymakers to decide on decarbonization over fossil fuel investments.
In this situation, linking the climate update to any other challenge can also have the opposite effect, especially if those challenges are politically sensitive. While China is willing to engage with Western countries on climate updates, it will oppose linking it to human rights. , which it considers Western interference in its domestic politics. India is likely to have similar concerns. And without China on board, climate progress will stall; don’t forget that China suspended climate talks with the US. When President Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwán. De event, President Biden’s weather envoy John Kerry noted that the United States prioritizes climate challenges over China’s remedy. of their Uighur minorities.
Given the disappointing progress in reducing emissions, weather teams focus on decarbonization (and adaptation) and don’t link it to issues that can derail climate talks. Moreover, given the global “democracy recession,” attempts to mix human rights conditions with climate aid are unlikely to be welcome. Moreover, with the debate on “climate reparations” in emerging countries, it will be difficult for Western countries to penalize countries that receive reparations for their human rights records.
In short, there are compelling arguments for linking climate issues to human rights and keeping them separate. Much depends on the theory of replacing supporters. If climate progress demands a general mobilization as happened in World War II, then activists will want to focus. only in decarbonization. However, others might have another replacement theory, in which political freedom and human rights are mandatory for climate progress. It will be attractive to see climate advocates split into those two camps.