In a recent joint submission to the United Nations, 24 organizations, including prominent entities such as Amnesty International, Oxfam, and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), have emphasized the connection between fossil fuels and climate harm. The submission foregrounded the obligations of both states and corporations under the polluter-pays principle and called for remedies for those adversely affected by the climate crisis.
The organizations highlighted stark data showing that carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels in the global energy system have increased by 4.6 percent between 2015 and 2019. This has contributed to approximately two-thirds of annual global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, reinforcing longstanding scientific concerns about the role of fossil fuels in driving climate change. The submission argued that the continued reliance on fossil fuels exacerbates environmental degradation and hastens the rapid rise in global temperatures, causing significant harm to both ecosystems and human communities.
Moreover, the rights groups drew attention to the nexus between fossil fuels and militarization, suggesting that the industry is a catalyst for conflict. This has led to destabilization and conflict as nations and corporations vie for control over resources, often resulting in profound environmental and humanitarian crises, particularly in regions already susceptible to climate change impacts.
The submission also underscored disparities in global expenditure, emphasizing that countries in the Global North allocate significantly more resources to militarization than to climate finance, prioritizing actions that accelerate environmental damage rather than addressing climate debt to the Global South. This disparity in spending has raised ethical and moral questions regarding the Global North’s obligations to address its historical climate responsibilities.
Additionally, victims of human rights abuses stemming from climate change impacts should be provided with a right to remedy, the submission stated, adhering to principles adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2005. Similarly, the polluter-pays principle, as outlined by numerous legal frameworks, mandates that major contributors to carbon emissions should bear the costs associated with climate-induced human rights violations and environmental degradation.
The urgency for action is echoed by the global activism community. Recently, over 360 organizations and activists called on the European Union to reject a proposed Omnibus directive that they argue could dilute existing corporate sustainability laws. At the same time, the United States, under the administration of President Donald Trump, has faced criticism for its decision to withdraw from the UN’s climate damage fund, a move seen as limiting its involvement in international climate efforts.
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