Transcript SHRC paper to ICC 25

NHRIs, the Environment and
Human Rights
Scotland and Climate Justice
Diego Quiroz
Geneva, 21 March 2012
First Minister Alex Salmond has urged
world leaders to make 2012 a 'year of
climate justice'
"I believe we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to
enshrine this important principle - that economic
development should be linked to human rights - in global
energy policy, ensuring that countries and communities
least able to cope with the extreme weather events
climate change brings are not further disadvantaged.”
(02/01/2012)
MSPs in 'world first' climate
event Press Association – 1 March 2012
Text
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MSPs have held what was said to be the world's first parliamentary
debate on climate justice. The concept of climate justice highlights the
unequal impact of climate change and strongly endorses the opportunity
for Scotland to champion climate justice, which places human rights at the
heart of global development, ensuring a fair distribution of
responsibilities…
Mary Robinson in the Herald Scotland, 5
March 2012
“The Scottish Human Rights
Commission is a champion of
climate justice.”
“Scotland has a forward-looking
climate change strategy with the
necessary legislation in place
and an inclusive reach which
ensures that all of the country's
main players are on board”
“Scotland's commitment to climate
justice, and the practical actions
it is taking to reach that goal,
show the way for all countries”
Human Rights & The Environment
The Commission focuses its work in two specific
areas:
(1) raising awareness of the relationship between
the environment and human rights.
(2) promoting the benefits of adopting a HRBA
into environmental law, policy and decision
making.
The Scottish Parliament’s Motion
That the Parliament understands that it is poor and vulnerable people in developing
countries who are most affected by climate change and are least equipped to
respond to it; supports Scotland acting as an international model of best practice on
climate change and promoting the moral, environmental and economic reasons for
action by other countries;
strongly endorses the opportunity for Scotland to champion climate justice, which
places human rights at the heart of global development, ensuring a fair distribution
of responsibilities, and welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment to
ensuring respect for human rights and action to eradicate poverty and inequality,
which are at the heart of Scotland’s action to combat climate change both at home
and internationally and strengthening Scotland’s support for developing countries
on climate change as part of Scotland’s international profile;
calls on the Scottish Government to redouble its efforts to reduce emissions and target
climate change in Scotland by working with local authorities, public services,
business and individual communities to ensure that all are equipped to respond to
this growing threat in a manner that puts environmental justice and equality at its
heart, developing new and transferable skills and encouraging the sharing of
knowledge internationally to benefit the world, and
further calls on the Scottish Government to announce a timescale for the creation of a
Scotland-wide climate adaptation fund as outlined in the SNP manifesto and for the
development of a system of consumption-based reporting targets as specified in
section 37 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.
(01/03/2012)
For more information about our work
please visit:
http://www.scottishhum
anrights.com/ourwork/
environment/environ
mentbackground