OVERVIEW Purposes & Objectives Given the serious human rights ramifications of climate change, States are obliged to take all appropriate means to avoid and mitigate climate change and its harmful consequences, as well as assist vulnerable communities in adapting to its consequences. States are also required to ensure that their responses to climate change are consistent with their human rights obligations under domestic and international law. This introductory legal reference guide examines the connections between climate change and human rights, with a particular focus on the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). It seeks to provide policy-makers, advocates, and experts with basic knowledge of obligations and principles related to international economic, social, and cultural rights, along with concrete examples of their relevance to climate change-related policy-making. The guide thus aims to ensure that governments continue to meet their obligations to respect, protect, and fulfil economic, social, and cultural rights in the context of new challenges brought by climate change, as well as to highlight opportunities for policymakers worldwide. A Living Document This manual is intended to be a living document that the co-editors will update in the years to come, based on new developments in the international human rights and climate regimes, as well as feedback received on the current version. Readers are therefore encouraged to send ideas and suggestions regarding the content, especially case studies of climate policies and projects that have effectively integrated human rights principles, standards, and considerations, to the editors by writing to Sébastien Jodoin at sebastien.jodoin@yale.edu and Katherine Lofts at klofts@cisdl.org. Outline Part I of this manual provides a general introduction to human rights and the international climate change regime, including the relationship between climate change and human rights. Part II surveys basic concepts of international human rights law. Part III examines the ICESCR more specifically, including its structure, the nature of its obligations, means of implementation, and compliance mechanisms. Finally, Parts IV through X discuss specific rights enumerated in the ICESCR, including: the right to equality and non-discrimination; the rights to work and social security; the right to family life; the right to an adequate standard of living; the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; the right to education; and the right to culture. These sections also provide case studies illustrating how climate policies are being implemented to concomitantly address climate change and enhance the realisation of human rights. 3