Published March 24, 2026
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Do we need a legal framework for loss of habitability due to extreme heat?
Description
This presentation was delivered as part of a policy briefing to the UN Human Rights Coucil, at the 61st session of the UN HRC in Geneva, Switzerland on 6 March 2026.
The recording of the event is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSe0RZrYtBI
Background: The 61st Session of the Human Rights Council convenes at a critical juncture with respect to human rights and climate change. Recent developments in international law, including the 2025 ICJ Advisory Opinion on climate change, the 2025 Advisory Opinion from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on the climate emergency and human rights, and the 2024 Advisory Opinion from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea related to climate change, all affirm that States have legal obligations to prevent foreseeable harm to the global climate system. In addition, the Paris Agreement goal of 1.5°C is now considered binding as a matter of international law. The latest Copernicus report (2026) has indicated that average global temperatures have breached the 1.5°C limit for the last three years. Concurrently, the EU-funded Horizon Europe project TipESM (Tipping Points in Earth System Models) is producing data with respect to “foreseeability,” and specifically, studying early warning indicators that may signal the breach of specific climate tipping points and their impacts on ecosystems, human health, society, and habitability. Such tipping points could include the collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) or the dieback of the Amazon rainforest. These are not just environmental events; the triggering of tipping points could threaten a variety of human rights including the rights to a healthy environment, life, health, food, water, culture, and self-determination. Tipping points also present significant challenges to political and civil rights, democratic governance, and the rights of future generations.
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Slide_deck_Heat_Habitability.pdf
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(10.6 MB)
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