A global dialogue on climate change and human rights

In June 2025 UN Human Rights is co-hosting a global summit on climate change and human rights in partnership with the University of Oxford, the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, the International Universities Climate Alliance, and co-host universities across the world.

The 2025 Summit aims to advance human rights-based solutions to the climate crisis, amplify environmental human rights defenders' voices, reinforce the global climate justice movement, and inspire people, particularly students, as advocates and leaders for human rights-based climate action.

Other university partners include the University of the South Pacific, the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Cape Town, UNSW Sydney, Monash University, the University of Nairobi, the Himalayan University Consortium, the University of the West Indies, and the University of São Paulo.

A 24-hour global plenary

The cornerstone of the summit is a hybrid global event on World Environment Day, 5 June 2005. The Summit will bring together leading thinkers and practitioners at the intersection of climate change and human rights for a 24-hour global plenary, which will be broadcast live across time zones. Co-created and co-delivered by universities across the world, the plenary will follow the sun as we pass the baton between different regions.

Live stream

The launch event and the global academic plenary will be streamed live on the University of Oxford YouTube channel, beginning at 19:00 UTC on 4 June 2025 and continuing to 20:30 UTC on 5 June 2025.

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Local activities and events

The High Commissioner will open the Summit at the University of Oxford on 4 June 2025.  Meanwhile, partner universities worldwide will host local activities on climate justice.

Specific sessions co-hosted by UN Human Rights  

Right Here, Right Now 2025 Launch Event

4 June - 19:00-21:00 UTC

The summit will launch on 4 June at the Sheldonian Theatre with keynote addresses from Vice-Chancellor Irene Tracey and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, performances and discussions.

UN Human Rights in conversation with the International University Climate Alliance

5 June 2025 - 03:00-03:45 UTC

Advancing gender equality in climate action

The session will explore how women, girls and persons with diverse gender identities, while being disproportionately affected by climate change, are crucial agents in addressing it. Panellists will discuss the contributions of women, girls and persons with diverse gender identities, including Indigenous women, girls and persons with diverse gender identities, to climate action. They will highlight the obligations of States to take adequate action to prevent, adapt to and remediate the adverse human rights impacts of environmental harm on women, girls and persons with diverse gender identities as well as to ensure their rights to access information, participation and access to justice and to protect environmental human rights defenders from these groups. They will also discuss how upholding gender equality enables more effective climate action and will explore how women, girls and persons with diverse gender identities can be better supported in their leadership in combating climate change.

UN Human Rights Office for South-East Asia in partnership with the Earth Journalism Network and Creative Migration

5 June 03.45-04.45 UTC

Witness to impact: “The role of journalism in advancing human rights-based responses to the climate crisis in South-East Asia”

The panel will explore the evolving landscape of climate and environmental journalism in South-East Asia which is one of the most climate-vulnerable regions in the world. Learn more

UN Human Rights in conversation with the International University Climate Alliance

5 June 2025 10:00-10:45 UTC

Human rights, climate finance and the road to 1.3 trillion

The session will discuss the critical need for ambition in mobilising enough finance to satisfy actual global needs for climate action, including with respect to mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage. It will highlight how such ambition is necessary in order to comply with human rights obligations. Drawing upon the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the panellists will also discuss the necessity of human rights safeguards in the context of climate finance.

UN Human Rights in conversation with the International University Climate Alliance

5 June 2025 - 14:15-15:00 UTC

Integrating human rights in nationally determined contributions (NDCs) 3.0

The session will address the key ways in which human rights should be integrated into NDCs, including participatory development, implementation and monitoring of NDCs, as well as how to reflect human rights in NDCs. The session will touch upon the key role of national human rights institutions (NHRIs) and rights-holders, including Indigenous Peoples, throughout the process. The panellists will also discuss how to ensure NDCs support a just transition.

Closing reflections: “A call for human rights-based climate action: right here right now”

5 June - 20:00-20:30 UTC