Inter-American Court of Human Rights Addresses Climate Emergency and Methane Reduction in Key Hearings

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) has recently held public hearings in Barbados, Brasilia, and Manaos to address the climate emergency and its impact on human rights. These hearings have highlighted the critical importance of reducing methane (CH4) emissions to mitigate global warming and protect vulnerable communities.

The hearings began in Barbados last month and continued in Brazil last week, where experts sounded the alarm about recent extreme flooding that killed at least 169 people and displaced hundreds of thousands. The IACtHR is currently considering an advisory opinion on countries' obligations related to the fossil fuel-driven climate emergency, following requests from Chile and Colombia.

Why this matters: The Inter-American Court of Human Rights' hearings on climate emergency have significant implications for global efforts to mitigate climate change and protect human rights. If successful, the court's advisory opinion could establish a precedent for holding governments and businesses accountable for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting vulnerable communities.

Communities around the world, including the El Bosque community in Mexico, are demanding climate justice and urging the IACtHR to establish that states have an obligation to develop climate adaptation policies that effectively address internal displacement resulting from climate impacts. The El Bosque community is the first Mexican community to be officially recognized as climate-displaced.

Greenpeace Mexico climate campaigner Pablo Ramirez emphasized that the fossil fuel and agribusiness industries are impairing the full exercise of human rights and that states are failing to guarantee these basic rights. The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) has joined with other groups to submit multiple amicus briefs to the court, emphasizing the need to protect those who defend human rights and the planet.

The hearings in Brazil are set to run through Wednesday, with campaigners hoping for an opinion that builds on recent decisions from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The IACtHR's opinion, while not legally binding, could create frameworks for governments or firms to be sued in the future.

The importance of reducing methane emissions was a key point of discussion during the hearings. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and its reduction is crucial to mitigating global warming and protecting vulnerable communities. The hearings have underscored the devastating impact of climate change on children, adolescents, and communities around the world, who are least responsible for the damage but suffer the most.

Joselim, a 17-year-old from Peru, highlighted the need for leaders to invest in the recovery of agriculture, education, and environmental plans and public policies with adequate resources and personnel. Similarly, Camila, a 14-year-old from El Salvador, pointed out that climate change is affecting the right to health in many ways, including causing deaths and illnesses from extreme weather events and the spread of diseases.

Victoria Ward, regional director for Save the Children in Latin America and the Caribbean, emphasized that children are demanding change and that their powerful experiences and solutions will only strengthen the fight against climate change. The involvement of young voices in these hearings has brought a unique and urgent perspective to the discussions.

The IACtHR hearings are part of a growing trend of using international courts to address climate change. This trend includes recent actions by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and the European Court of Human Rights, in addition to a Vanuatu-led UN General Assembly resolution requesting an opinion from the International Court of Justice on states' legal obligations to protect the climate.

The hearings' progression is anticipated to further strengthen states' and business enterprises' obligations to take necessary measures to reduce, prevent, and control greenhouse gas emissions in line with best available science and international law obligations.

Key Takeaways

• The Inter-American Court of Human Rights held hearings on climate change's impact on human rights.
• Experts emphasized the need to reduce methane emissions to mitigate global warming.
• The court's advisory opinion could establish a precedent for holding governments accountable.
• Communities are demanding climate justice and urging the court to protect vulnerable communities.
• The hearings are part of a growing trend of using international courts to address climate change.