Abstract

UPDATE, 2 May: Sadly Stephen Humphreys can’t join us on Thursday! But we are very much looking forward to discuss Climate Change and Human Rights with Dr Shailaja Fennell, Dr Mette Eilstrup-Sangiovanni and YOU !

Climate Change and Human Rights: Let’s Talk Interdisciplinary Action aims to discuss how a rights-based approach to climate change can be achieved and the challenges it faces through an interdisciplinary panel discussion with some of the UK’s leading experts, but it doesn’t stop there. The event will go beyond discussion and delve into active engagement with all participants through an interactive workshop centred on exploring and capturing the intricacies and importance of a rights-based approach. As a direct result of this event, we hope to produce a manifesto that details these insights.

Climate change is one of contemporary society’s biggest challenges. Whilst the current narrative focuses heavily on glacier loss and ecological impacts in places like the Arctic, climate change also poses a huge challenge to humans. This is particularly evident in remote subsistence communities where the people who are least responsible for climate change are being most adversely affected. With this issue being so complex, many different responses are being advocated for. Some push for greenhouse gas reductions, some focus on promoting community adaptation and some prioritise public engagement. Actors such as Stephen Humphreys suggest that, by taking a human rights approach to climate change, these different strands of action can be brought together. This allows duty-bearers of carbon emissions to be identified, the human rights claims of remote communities to be supported and clear messages detailing human impacts to be communicated.

However, how can inter-sectoral dialogue be facilitated to allow unified, inter-sectional action to be taken on climate change and human rights? Also, how can this be done in a way that equally represents all demographics of people and empowers individuals to cultivate their own resilience? These are questions that this event will seek to address.

Stephen Humphreys: As a former PhD student at the University of Cambridge, Stephen has gone on to work with many international legal organisations and is now an Associate Professor of International Law at the London School of Economics. During his time as an academic and as a practitioner, he has worked to bring lawyers, geographers and social scientists together to increase our understandings of the interplay between climate change and human rights.

Shailaja Fennell: After studying in Delhi, India, Shailaja came to Cambridge to study her PhD in Economics and, since then, has worked on topics including rural development and agricultural sustainability. She is currently a University Lecturer in Development Studies in Cambridge’s Department of Land Economy and, given her experience working with community empowerment, education and gender norms ,she will suggest considerations from all these perspectives in relation to climate change and human rights.

Space are limited, please register for the event & workshop now!

Timings

5:00-5:45 panel and Q&A

5:45-6:00 small group mixers with complimentary refreshments

6:00-6:50 workshop

6:50-7:00 concluding remarks