CUGH 2024 Conference Concurrent Session 47

Climate Change as a Threat to Global Health & Human Rights
The inequitable health threats of climate change pose sweeping implications for health-related human rights, especially in low- and middle-income countries, with environmental degradation challenging the most fundamental conditions for human life and the individual dignity and rights of vulnerable populations and future generations. However, international negotiations to mitigate emissions - from the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its 1997 Kyoto Protocol to the 2015 Paris Agreement - have realized limited success in addressing the health hazards caused by the unfolding climate crisis. This session frames the rapidly evolving state of discourse on public health and human rights in climate change debates - examining global governance efforts, academic research, NGO advocacy, and youth engagement. This session addresses the synergies between global health, human rights, and climate justice, with a focus on understanding the global health threats of anthropogenic climate change and identifying the human rights advancements necessary to frame international law reforms for mitigation and adaptation.