Climate Change, Loss & Damage, and Human Rights: Submission to OHCHR

In response to a call for input from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Climate Refugees has provided a submission to help inform the Secretary-General’s analytical study on the impact of loss and damage from the adverse effects of climate change on the full enjoyment of human rights, which will be presented at the Human Rights Committee at its 57th session later this year.

Climate Refugees’ submission is based on field work and subsequent reporting from the Lake Chad Basin, Kenya’s Rift Valley, and Miami (South Florida), as well as recent advocacy efforts on climate change migration and displacement.

Read the full submission to OHCHR below.

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Submission to the Canadian Senate's Study on Forced Displacement and Climate Change

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In November 2023, Climate Refugees Founder and Executive Director Amali Tower was invited to appear before the Canadian Senate’s Human Rights Committee as part of its study on Forced Global Displacement, to testify about the impacts of climate change on migration and forced displacement, particularly as it relates to adverse impacts on human rights.

Tower was invited to testify on a panel with other expert witnesses, and to provide a brief opening statement, followed by questions from committee members.

Climate Refugees was also invited to submit written testimony to the Senate of Canada. Together with other Senate Committee witnesses Dr. Camila Bustos, Assistant Professor of Law at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University and Monica Iyer, Clinical Fellow and Senior Lecturing Fellow, Duke University School of Law, as well as key colleagues working in this field, we have submitted a written brief to the Senate Committee for further consideration.

You can access the brief below.

Press Release: Urgent need to better understand and protect those displaced by climate change, new film highlights

The climate crisis is forcing many to leave their homes—while still others are trapped in place—a reality that places people at risk and will require substantive action by states and other stakeholders, as highlighted by the new short film Forced to Move: A Climate Story from Climate Refugees and The Loss and Damage Collaboration.

Climate Displaced Persons Act Re-Introduced in Congress

Climate Displaced Persons Act Re-Introduced in Congress

In recognition that those displaced by climate change lack adequate protections under US immigration law, and that the US can and should play a key role in advancing climate justice, Senator Ed Markey (Mass.) and Representative Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) have reintroduced the Climate Displaced Persons Act (CDPA) in the US Senate and House of Representatives.

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Joint Call For Action by Humanitarian, Climate and Development Organizations on Loss & Damage Fund

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Joint Call For Action by Humanitarian, Climate and Development Organizations on Loss & Damage Fund

As COP28 approaches, more than 190 signatories from the humanitarian, climate and development sectors are calling for the operationalization of a fit-for-purpose loss & damage fund. The call for action, organized by CAN International and ICVA and which Climate Refugees helped develop and has signed, highlights the importance of cross-sectoral coordination in order to ensure that those experiencing loss and damage as a result of climate change are able to receive the support they need. In particular, the call demands loss & damage financing that is accessible, adequate, additional, and accountable.