Global Campus of Human Rights. Environmental Policy

Abstract

The Global Campus of Human Rights promotes, above all, the idea of human dignity, freedom and equality–an ideal that cannot be reached without also protecting the various environments people inhabit. Human rights thus embodya fair and equal society, which necessitates a responsible use of natural resources. Only when respecting ecosystems and responsibly using the planet’s resources can we enable a sustainable livelihood for all present and future generations. We, however, live in a time where wars are fought over scarce resources, where people lose their livelihoods because of environmental degradation and disasters, where thousands are forced to leave their homes due to the devastating effects of climate change, and where despite all scientific proof this reality is still de-nied by many. For these reasons, we understand our common and individual responsibility to ensure a peaceful and just world as intrinsically linked to the protection of our environment. In addition to the right to a clean environment, climate justice includes the right to life, health, work, shelter, water and food, to name but a few,thus situating the climate crisis as a primary threat to human rights. The environmental policy set out below is a step in our continued efforts to address this existential chal-lenge.