Achieving Climate Justice Through Human Rights-Centered Approaches
The climate crisis and widening socioeconomic inequalities are two of the most pressing challenges of our time. As governments and businesses race to reduce carbon emissions and decarbonize the built environment, it’s crucial that these efforts do not exacerbate existing disparities or leave vulnerable communities behind. A narrow focus on emissions reduction alone risks fueling “greenlash” – backlash against green initiatives – and stalling progress.
To unlock the full potential of climate action, we must ground it in human rights frameworks that prioritize social justice and ensure no one is left behind in the green transition. This is the essence of a “just transition” – transforming our economies and built environments in a manner that is equitable, inclusive, and protective of the most vulnerable.
Buildings and construction account for 37% of global energy-related carbon emissions, making the built environment a critical battleground in the fight against climate change. Cities, in particular, are where the severest impacts of the climate crisis and socioeconomic inequalities converge. It is here that we must get the just transition right.
Uncovering the Human Rights Risks and Opportunities of Green Initiatives
Over the past two years, the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) has undertaken in-depth research in eight cities around the world to uncover the human rights risks and opportunities associated with their green transitions. From Europe to Africa, Asia to Latin America, our findings reveal a complex and nuanced landscape, where climate action is not always equitable or inclusive.
In Prague and Lisbon, for example, publicly-funded housing retrofit programs have led to unaffordable rent increases and displacement, a phenomenon known as “renovictions.” In Lagos, Nigeria, the Eko Atlantic project aimed to protect the city from coastal erosion by building a new, eco-friendly city – but in the process, it displaced a community of 80,000 low-income workers and turned a public beach into a privatized, green gated community.
These examples illustrate how climate initiatives, if not carefully designed and implemented, can exacerbate existing inequalities and violate the human rights of vulnerable groups. Marginalized communities, who have contributed the least to environmental degradation, often bear the brunt of the impacts and are further disadvantaged by green policies.
Embedding Human Rights in the Green Transition
To address this challenge, IHRB’s research has identified a range of recommendations for governments, businesses, and investors to apply human rights frameworks to their green initiatives. These include:
Ensuring Affordable, Sustainable Housing for All
Governments must introduce a mix of policies to incentivize building retrofits while protecting tenants from displacement. Examples include rent freezes, restrictions on rent increases, and “right of first refusal” schemes that give cities first dibs on purchasing large buildings to preserve affordability. Businesses and investors can also play a role by prioritizing investments in affordable, sustainable housing projects.
Prioritizing Green Jobs and Decent Work
The transition to a low-carbon economy is creating new “green jobs” in construction and other sectors. However, it’s crucial that these jobs provide improved working conditions, safety standards, and opportunities for reskilling and upskilling – especially for workers displaced from carbon-intensive industries.
Ensuring Inclusive, Participatory Decision-Making
Climate initiatives must be developed through meaningful engagement with local communities, workers’ unions, and civil society organizations. This helps ensure that the solutions address the needs and concerns of those most affected, and builds broader public support for climate action.
Leveraging Public Land and Assets
When public land or assets are used for new green developments, governments should retain ownership and ensure that the benefits are equitably distributed. This could involve requirements for affordable housing, community spaces, or other social infrastructure.
Strengthening Transparency and Accountability
Mandatory reporting requirements for businesses, coupled with clear regulatory frameworks, can help increase transparency and accountability around the social and environmental impacts of green initiatives. Investors, too, can play a role by prioritizing investments in companies with strong human rights policies.
Unlocking the Opportunity of a Just Transition
Ultimately, the research makes clear that respecting human rights is not just a moral imperative, but a practical necessity for unlocking the full potential of climate action in the built environment. When green initiatives are designed and implemented through a human rights lens, they can become powerful catalysts for social and economic innovation, creating more resilient, equitable, and sustainable communities.
In Indonesia, for example, the Green Affordable Housing Program is aiming to deliver 1 million affordable green homes by 2030 through a combination of new builds and deep retrofits. In Milan, the city prioritizes rent-controlled social housing when rolling out building upgrades, ensuring that the benefits of energy efficiency are equitably distributed.
These examples demonstrate that equity and decarbonization are not mutually exclusive, but rather mutually reinforcing processes. By putting people first, we can unlock the transformative potential of climate action in the built environment – and create the fair, sustainable societies we need for people and planet to thrive.
Guiding Principles for a Just Transition
To guide governments, businesses, and investors in embedding human rights into their green initiatives, IHRB has developed the following principles:
- Collective Endeavor: Climate action and social justice are interconnected challenges that require collaborative, multi-stakeholder approaches.
- Inclusive Decision-Making: Engage with diverse voices, including marginalized communities, workers, and civil society, in the design and implementation of green initiatives.
- Respect for Rights: Uphold internationally recognized human rights standards, including the rights to housing, work, and a healthy environment.
- Transparency and Accountability: Strengthen reporting requirements, disclosure practices, and avenues for redress to ensure transparency and accountability.
- Innovation and Creativity: Embrace new models, strategies, and technologies that can deliver both environmental and social benefits.
By embracing these principles, we can turn the green transition in the built environment into a powerful catalyst for social and economic transformation – one that leaves no one behind.
Conclusion: Securing a Just and Sustainable Future
The climate crisis and social inequalities are deeply interconnected, and addressing one without the other is a recipe for failure. As governments, businesses, and investors accelerate their efforts to decarbonize the built environment, it’s crucial that they do so through a human rights-centered approach that prioritizes social justice and inclusive development.
The research conducted by IHRB has uncovered both the risks and the opportunities of this pivotal moment. By learning from the mistakes and successes of cities around the world, we can chart a course towards a just transition – one that harnesses the power of climate action to create more resilient, equitable, and sustainable communities for all.
The time for action is now. By embedding human rights into the green transition, we can unlock the full potential of the built environment to address the pressing challenges of our time and secure a better future for people and planet.
