SUMMARY OF AMICI EXPERT CONTRIBUTIONS REGARDING THE HUMAN RIGHTS IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE 59 Key Findings and Messages The harmful effects of climate change pose an enormous threat to human rights in the Philippines and abroad. Increases in the severity and frequency of sudden-onset disasters such as hurricanes and floods will cause deaths, injuries, property destruction, and human displacement, while more gradual forms of environmental degradation will undermine access to clean water, food, and other key resources. All of these impacts will impair fundamental rights including the rights to life, health, clean water and sanitation, food, adequate housing, self-determination and development, and equality and non-discrimination. These impacts will disproportionately affect certain countries and individuals, including those who are disadvantaged due to poverty, gender, age, disability, cultural or ethnic background, and other factors, as well as children and future generations who will experience increasingly severe impacts over time. This is not merely an abstract future possibility: the Philippines and many other countries are already experiencing adverse effects on human rights as a result of climate change. Summary Argument60 It is well-understood that climate change poses a serious threat to the full enjoyment of human rights enshrined in the Philippines Constitution, the UDHR, the ICCPR, the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and other human rights instruments. The United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) has issued seven resolutions recognizing the harmful effects of climate change on human rights and the obligations of states to take action to address these harmful effects.61 The OHCHR, the UN Special Rapporteur on 59 This summary was compiled with inputs from the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law (Michael Burger & Jessica Wentz), the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) (Sébastien Duyck, Erika Lennon & Carroll Muffett), Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW) (Jennifer Gleason & Killian Doherty), Our Children’s Trust (Elizabeth Brown & Danny Noonan), and ClientEarth (Sophie Marjanac) and is based on their previously submitted underlying amicus curiae briefs as well as relevant updates. 60 For a more detailed summary of these impacts, please refer to the amicus briefs submitted by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law (general impacts) and Our Children’s Trust (impacts on children and future generations). Amicus curiae brief submitted by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, https://businesshumanrights.org/sites/default/files/documents/Wentz-and-Burger-2016-12-Submission-Case-No.-CHR-NI-20160001.pdf [hereinafter Sabin Center brief]; amicus curiae brief submitted by Our Children’s Trust, https://businesshumanrights.org/sites/default/files/documents/OCT%20Amicus%20Submission.pdf [hereinafter Our Children’s Trust brief]. For a recent synthesis of authoritative statements, see CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAW (CIEL) AND GLOBAL INITIATIVE FOR ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS (GIESCR), STATE HUMAN RIGHTS OBLIGATIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF CLIMATE CHANGE: SYNTHESIS NOTE ON THE CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON CLIMATE CHANGE ADOPTED BY UN HUMAN RIGHTS TREATY BODIES (Jan. 2018), http://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/HRTBs-synthesis-report.pdf. 61 United Nations Human Rights Council Res. 7/23, Human Rights and Climate Change, A/HRC/Res/7/23 (Mar. 2008); United Nations Human Rights Council Res. 10/4, Human Rights and Climate Change, A/HRC/Res/10/4 (Mar. 25, 2009); United Nations Human Rights Council Res. 18/22, Human Rights and Climate Change, A/HRC/Res/18/22 (Oct. 17, 2011); United Nations Human Rights Council Res. 26/27, Human Rights and Climate Change, A/HRC/Res/26/27 (July 15, 2014); United Nations Human Rights Council Res. 29/15, Human Rights and Climate Change, A/HRC/Res/29/15 (July 2, 2015); United Nations Human Rights Council Res. 32/33, Human Rights and Climate Change, A/HRC/RES/32/33 (July 18, 2016); United Nations Human Rights Council Res. 35/20, A/HRC/35/20 (July 7, 2017). 21