Obligations
Who Is Responsible?
The climate crisis is a global problem that requires global solutions. Understanding obligation—who should act and who is responsible—helps all levels of civil society understand their roles and responsibilities toward practicing climate solutions.
So who is responsible? We all are, but each level of civil society has unique responsibilities—from government to business to education to individual. When we understand our obligations, learn our roles and do our part, we can work against climate change together.
It’s a whole-of-society approach.
Right Holders
All people. Human rights belong to everyone and are equal, interrelated, interdependent and cannot be taken away. Some human rights are already being violated due to climate change, making the climate crisis an urgent matter that must be addressed collectively.
Duty Bearers
States are the primary duty bearers. States have obligations that require individual and collective action, including international cooperation. States should be held accountable for the negative effects of the actions—or lack of action—within their areas and should share responsibility for reducing the harmful effects of climate change.
Principles of Human Rights
Human rights are universal
Human rights are equal
Human rights are indivisible
Human rights are interrelated
Human rights are interdependent
Obligations Educator’s Guide
Bring the conversation about climate obligations to the classroom. Free and available for all educators.
“We are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change and the last generation that can do something about it.”
—Barack Obama
Former president of the United States
Feature Stories
A growing number of legal cases around the world have proved successful in getting governments to commit to climate action, but in the U.S. barriers to this strategy remain. Read more
In 2016, Tropical Storm Winston hit the Pacific island of Fiji as the strongest recorded storm ever to make landfall in the Southern Hemisphere. Read more
United Nations Human Rights has outlined the essential obligations and responsibilities of duty bearers—states, businesses, education and individuals. Our efforts to develop climate solutions, mitigation and adaptation must be ambitious, nondiscriminatory and compliant with human rights obligations.
Human Rights and Climate Change Obligations
- Mitigate climate change and prevent its harmful effects on human rights.
- Ensure that all people have the necessary capacity to adapt to climate change.
- Ensure accountability and effective remedies for the harmful effects on human rights caused by climate change.
- Mobilize maximum available resources for sustainable, human rights-based development.
- Cooperate with other states.
- Ensure equity in climate action.
- Guarantee that everyone enjoys the benefits of science and its applications.
- Protect human rights from business harms.
- Guarantee equality and nondiscrimination.
- Ensure meaningful and informed participation.
Whole-of-Society Approach
To overcome the climate crisis, we need to work together as a collective—as a global community. A whole‑of‑society approach creates meaningful multistakeholder partnerships that ensure all levels of civil society work together to design, implement and finance climate solutions.
Common, but Differentiated, Responsibilities and Capabilities
Central to climate solutions is the concept of common, but differentiated, responsibilities and capabilities. This means that states have common responsibilities to protect the environment and promote sustainable development, but their level of responsibility differs due to their contributions to climate change and environmental degradation. Responsibilities also differ due to financial and technological capabilities.
Education
Education is the key. Providing children with early knowledge and hands-on experience to climate solutions is critical—teaching our future leaders the importance of individual and collective actions.
“On their way to the beach, on the bus, they were singing: ‘Let’s save the animals! Let’s save the animals!’ They want to make sure that the ocean animals wouldn’t swallow trash, wouldn’t cough, or that any object would hurt the animals or kill them. Actions like this also send an important message to the parents.”
—Teresa Salema, teacher in Lisbon
Business & Industry
Although all areas of civil society play a part, businesses and industry have an influential role in shifting production and consumption behaviors and effects. Globally, organizations need to collaborate across industries and sectors, governments, and civil society to achieve effective climate solutions.
“We can’t each reinvent our own wheels here. We are committed to sharing information and, frankly, learning from each other. Because when you make a big, bold commitment, you’re not always sure exactly how you are going to get there. We’re all going to have steps forward and steps back, and if we can do a better job of learning from each other, that will make us more effective.”
—John Frank, vice president for UN affairs for Microsoft
Law & Policy
The role of law and climate litigation is becoming increasingly prominent. People are using litigation as a tool to uphold accountability and ensure states, governments and businesses are upholding universal human rights—especially those affected by the climate crisis.
“Citizens are increasingly turning to courts to access justice and exercise their right to a healthy environment.”
—Arnold Kreilhuber, UNEP’s Law Division acting director
States
When a state stands as a leader of positive change, it establishes pathways for others to follow. Jordan was the first developing country to build end-to-end digital infrastructure to implement and track reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions.
“Jordan is a pioneer in the climate space, the first developing country in the world to have this kind of comprehensive system. Its MRV system (measurement, reporting and verification) is of such high quality that we are standardizing it to enable its implementation in other countries under our new initiative, the Partnership for Market Implementation.”
—Harikumar Gadde, senior climate change specialist
Global Collaboration
Collaboration by everyone is critical. Effective solutions will come about only when all voices are represented. Global collaboration requires unwavering commitment, especially from states, businesses and people who have contributed to the crisis the most.
“This is a matter of equity, fairness, solidarity and enlightened self-interest.”
—António Guterres, UN secretary-general
Individual Action
Although the climate crisis may seem overwhelming at an individual level, our collective actions do make a difference. Education and understanding can lead to informed, positive decision-making in the five domains of the : food, mobility, items, money and fun.
“It’s important that people make more informed decisions and ask governments and business to take action.”
—Garrette Clark, an expert in sustainable living with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)