For all of my adult life I have been an advocate of human rights; now I am increasingly devoted to tackling the issue of climate change.
People often ask me why — and the answer is simple. I believe that climate change represents what is arguably the greatest threat to human rights that we will ever face.
In recent years I have been working on programmes such as the right to health; the right to decent work opportunities; corporate responsibility for human rights; and women’s leadership on peace and security. In my view, the threat of climate change is relevant to all of these areas.
For example, realising the right to health for all will be severely compromised by increasing temperatures and agricultural crop failures, and by severe weather events and destruction of infrastructure. The right to decent work opportunities will be undermined by interruptions in food production, and forced migration due to weather changes.
These are only a few of the many examples of how climate change undermines the enjoyment of human rights and sustainable development — yet in all these instances it is clear that what we need is a climate justice approach. Climate justice compels us to consider the human impacts of climate change, as well as our common but differentiated responsibilities.
I believe that for too long, climate-change discussions have stagnated in the realms of science, a cause and consequence of three misconceptions in industrialised countries that endured for far too long but are now, thankfully, disappearing but not yet gone. The three misconceptions are: that the negative effects of climate change are a possibility rather than a probability, that they are a threat to the future, not the present, and that they will affect plants and animals more than humans.
The 2006 report by world-renowned economist Nicholas Stern was the first of its kind to chip away at these perceptions. Now, as I witness first-hand in my travels, it is evident that climate change is already a reality for millions of people and its consequences are especially stark for impoverished communities in developing countries.
Rapid changes
Across the world, people are struggling to secure basic necessities as a result of rapidly changing environmental conditions. Farmers no longer know when to plant and when to harvest as a result of shifting seasonal patterns. Erratic rainfall has led to cycles of drought and flood. “Rogue” weather events have destroyed the lives and livelihoods of the poor. Rising sea levels threaten entire communities, in the Maldives, Bangladesh, Vietnam and the majority of Africa’s coastal cities.
The image of a polar bear stranded on a shrinking ice floe is often used to convey the impact of climate change, and though profound it only begins to capture the real picture. Instead, our image of climate change must focus on people — people increasingly unable to provide for basic necessities of food, water, shelter, and often forced to cope with devastating impacts such as increases in migration and conflicts over natural resources — even the very existence of their countries being threatened. And we must not forget the special challenges and risks that women face, not least as the main collectors of water and gatherers of firewood in so many developing countries.
I recall a climate tribunal in Cape Town I participated in together with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a few months before COP15 in Copenhagen in 2009. We heard the evidence of farmers from five African countries, and four of the farmers were women. Each spoke eloquently of the effects of drought or flooding, or both, on their subsistence farming. Theirs is the face of climate change.
Like so many, I had hoped that COP15 would signal a course correction for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. But no fair, ambitious and binding deal emerged. Collectively, our politicians failed us. They did not rise above narrow national self-interest, driven too often by climate sceptics and the fossil fuel-industries. It was clear that politics needed to catch up with science.
The expectations for COP16 in Cancun in 2010 were low, and thankfully they were significantly exceeded, while still modest. The talks were overall considered a success because they set the framework for a legally binding agreement and brought the key elements of the Copenhagen Accord under the convention.
Accountability
And now, as we approach COP17 in Durban, a climate-justice approach, which would compel us to consider the human impacts of climate change, as well as our shared responsibilities, is what is required. It includes greater awareness, greater trust and a greater global commitment to holding political leaders accountable for protecting the rights of people across the planet.
Each of us must urge our elected officials to understand that failure to act is unacceptable. Tackling climate change, far from threatening economies, is an opportunity to create green jobs.
Politicians will not change until they feel pressure from their own constituencies and until they see the gains a green economy can bring. Major companies are beginning to wake up to the opportunities and community leaders, entrepreneurs, and academics are starting to make a real difference. The language around climate change is shifting from apprehension of negative change to encompass huge opportunities. Courageous action is needed and creative thinking is imperative.
One of the greatest fears of many people is what tackling climate change will do to their economies, and specifically to their chances for employment in these uncertain economic times. But this is where I see the greatest opportunity, not a threat.
We know that we are failing to make sufficient progress in creating more and decent employment opportunities around the world, in both rich and poor countries. This is at the heart of the current movements for change in North Africa. We have to create one billion new jobs over the coming years to ensure that all of those out of work, and those entering the workforce, can live with the dignity that work gives.
The opportunity to create greener economies is recognised by a growing number of major companies — but the fruits of greening our economies must also go to small businesses, entrepreneurs and workers around the world. As South Africa prepares for COP 17 in Durban in December, I believe that the urgency of exploring and adopting the concept of climate justice will help us to build a sustainable bridge across the divides which have beset global climate change negotiations and will lead to a better world for all.
Mary Robinson was Ireland’s first woman president. Visit the website of the Mary Robinson Foundation at mrfcj.org