Access to information vital for effective climate action and human rights protection

NEW YORK – Access to information on climate change and human rights is a pre-requisite for transparent, inclusive and effective decision-making on climate action, a UN expert said.

“There is a vital need for timely access to high-quality, trustworthy and accessible information on climate change and human rights for both States and rights-holders to understand the magnitude of actual and projected human rights impacts of climate change and consequences of proposed response measures to it,” said Elisa Morgera, the Special Rapporteur on climate change, in her first report to the General Assembly.

Access to information is essential to protect the human rights affected by climate change, and to prevent and address the human rights impacts of climate change response measures, the Special Rapporteur said.

“Without such information, authorities cannot make comprehensive, effective and inclusive decisions to mitigate and adapt to climate change, and individuals cannot realistically assess the adequacy of States’ and businesses’ responses to effectively protect human rights in the context of climate change. Access to information is also key to support the resilience and adaptive capacities of people in vulnerable situations,” she said.

“For instance, States should disseminate immediately all information that would enable rights-holders to take protective measures in case of imminent threat of harm to their human rights to life, health or a healthy environment,” Morgera said.

“States must also gather and disseminate information on causes and consequences of climate change, climate change projections, detailed weather and disaster patterns, and risks and negative human rights impacts at the climate-biodiversity nexus, connecting information from terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems,” the experts said.

Morgera urged States to publish information on the environmental effectiveness of their mitigation and adaptation plans and activities, climate finance projects, just transition programmes, carbon markets, and technology research and deployment.

Information on national budgets and international finance for fighting against climate change, as well as subsidies to fossil fuels and other high-emitting activities, should also be published, she said.

Key recommendations to States include funding participatory research and the development of accessible digital platforms on climate change and human rights, particularly when these are community-led, women-led or co-developed with children and consider intersectionality.

“Businesses should accurately disclose direct and indirect climate impacts, to allow rights-holders to evaluate the adequacy of businesses’ efforts to prevent climate change-related human rights harm. Further, businesses must desist from disinformation or misinformation activities (climate-washing), and from using defamation and strategic lawsuits against climate defenders,” Morgera said.