Background

In her upcoming report to the Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur seeks to synthesise and analyse a varied body of evidence (from across the natural and social sciences, including Indigenous science and other knowledge systems) of the human rights impacts of the fossil fuel-based economy on the basis of a life-cycle approach, and expected impacts of the phase out of fossil fuels and related subsidies. On that basis, the report will seek to clarify States’ international human rights obligations, individually and as part of international cooperation, as well as business responsibility, to ensure a just transition away from fossil fuels and the phase out of fossil fuel subsidies, in order to protect and respect human rights in the context of climate change. The obligations will be clarified giving due consideration to: the need to scale up global action and support in addressing climate change, including in averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change; and the principles of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, including the principle of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances and in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty, all in pursuit of the objectives of the Convention and the Paris Agreement.

The report will also identify good practices, strategies and policies at all levels that contribute to the promotion and protection of all human rights and poverty alleviation in the context of a just transition away from the fossil fuel-based economy, with a view to contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goals 13 (climate action) and 14 (life below water).

The Special Rapporteur will aim to make constructive and concrete recommendations on human rights-based, gender-responsive, age-sensitive, disability-inclusive and risk-informed approaches to a just transition away from fossil fuels that prevent discrimination and enhance the protection of everyone’s human right to a healthy environment.

Objectives

The call for inputs aims at advancing understanding on how to respect, protect and fulfil all human rights, as well as prevent harm and ensure non-discrimination, in the context of a just transition away from fossil fuels and the phase out of fossil fuel subsidies.

Inputs are expected to shed light on the diverse bodies of evidence of the human rights impacts of the fossil fuel-based economy, and of the current and likely human rights impacts of a transition away from fossil fuels and of the phase out of fossil fuel subsidies.

Inputs are also expected to share analysis of the current international law landscape relevant to the fossil fuels-based economy, identifying any areas that support or hinder the protection of human rights in the context of the transition away from fossil fuels and the phase out of fossil fuel subsidies.

Inputs are also expected to share good practices and lessons learned in regulating the fossil fuel-based economy, as well as proposals for a just transition away from fossil fuels, with a view to protecting all human rights, considering intersectionality (A/HRC/56/46), and contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goals 13 and 14.

Key questions and types of input/comments sought

The Special Rapporteur would like to invite States, interested individuals, organizations and businesses, working on issues related to human rights and climate change to provide input for the preparation of her thematic report. Inputs can be both country-specific or of a general nature. They may contain information on the following subjects:

1. What is the full range of human rights impacts of the fossil fuel-based economy? What are the systemic causes of these impacts? Who is disproportionality affected by these impacts and why?

2. What are the current and likely human rights impacts of a transition away from fossil fuels and of the phase out of fossil fuel subsidies? What are the causes of these actual and potential impacts? Who is likely to be disproportionality affected by these impacts and why?

3. Which areas of international law are relevant to the protection of human rights in the context of the fossil fuels-based economy? In what ways do they support or hinder the protection of human rights in international law that would arise in the transition away from fossil fuels and the phase out of fossil fuel subsidies?

4. Are there good practices or lessons learned in regulating the fossil fuel-based economy that can support a just transition away from fossil fuels? Are there lessons from other sectors that can provide transferable insights for the transition away from fossil fuels?

5. Are there gaps or barriers in the domestic regulation of business activities in the fossil fuel-based economy that prevent the protection of human rights? Are there specific examples of State regulation of a just transition away from fossil fuels and/or fossil fuel phase out? To what extent do these examples provide rights-based, gender-responsive, age-sensitive, disability-inclusive and risk-informed approaches to a just transition away from fossil fuels that prevent discrimination?

6. Are there specific examples of business conduct supporting a just transition away from fossil fuels and/or fossil fuel phase out? To what extent do these examples ensure the protection of human rights and the prevention of non-discrimination? On the other hand, are there specific barriers in the context of business conduct that undermine efforts to transition away from fossil fuels? How can these barriers be addressed?

7. How can States, business and UN bodies contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goals 13 and 14, in the context of a just transition away from fossil fuels and fossil fuel phase out?

8. Are there proposals to scale up national, regional or global action a just transition away from fossil fuels and fossil fuel phase out? And how do these proposals take into account the principle of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances and in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty, all in pursuit of the objectives of the Convention and the Paris Agreement?

Questionnaire

• French (Word)
• Spanish (Word)

How inputs will be used?

Inputs will be treated to inform the preparation of the thematic report of the Special Rapporteur to the Human Rights Council. Your input will be published on the website of the Special Rapporteur. Submissions should not contain specific complaints or names of victims. If you would like your written input or any other information NOT to be published on the webpage of the Special Rapporteur, please explicitly indicate this in your input.

Submission of responses Please send your responses to the questionnaire in Word format by email to [email protected].

We kindly request that your submission be concise and limited to a maximum of 5 pages (or 2,500 words), not including appendices or attachments.

Due to a limited capacity for translation, we also request that your inputs be submitted in English, French, or Spanish.

To avoid unnecessary duplication: if you have recently replied to other questionnaires from UN human rights mechanisms (or other international bodies) with information that would be relevant to this request as well, we welcome your directing us to those replies.

The deadline for submission is 28 February 2025. Nevertheless, the inputs received before 30 January will also be relied upon in the organization of virtual expert workshops to inform the report.