Inter-American Court of Human Rights Hears from Climate Victims (The Guardian)

Globally, courts are increasingly linking climate change and human rights violations. Earlier this month, for example, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that weak Swiss government policies violated human rights. Another hearing on the opposite side of the world this week will examine states’ legal responsibilities to tackle climate change. In an inquiry instigated by Colombia and Chile, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights will define states’ legal responsibilities to tackle climate change. It will be the third international court tasked with providing an advisory opinion on climate change, but the only one focusing on human rights.

The request seeks clarity on children and women’s rights, the role of environmental defenders, the idea that some countries should take a bigger burden in tackling climate change, mitigation and adaptation strategies, and how states should tackle loss and damage. The Inter-American Court has previously recognized the right to a healthy environment and affirmed that states have the responsibility to protect its citizens’ human rights affected by environmental harm.

The court will hear from the governments of several countries, including Chile, Colombia, and Barbados, as well as private companies including a regional gas company. However, a large part of the opinion tackles youth challenges and intergenerational equality. In subsequent hearings, those living on the front lines of the climate crisis, fighting to protect their local environments, will tell their stories. Many say the decision  can form the basis for future climate litigation domestically or internationally.

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WMO Reveals Extreme Heat Stress in Europe Last Year (World Meteorological Organization)

Earlier this week, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), in collaboration with the Copernicus Climate Change Service, released the European State of the Climate 2023. The report analyzed climate conditions and their impacts. While climate change has impacted Europe in a wide variety of ways, extreme heat was the most evident and harmful effect in 2023.

Temperatures in the continent were above average for 11 months of the year, and 2023 saw a record number of days with “extreme heat stress.” Further, heat-related mortality has increased by about 30% in the last 20 years across 94% of European regions monitored. This has had a devastating impact on human health, although health risk varies across countries. Europe also saw 7% more precipitation than average and experienced severe flooding.

Beyond the negative impacts of climate change, however, the report also explored the role of renewable energy. A record 43% of energy generation in Europe was from renewables, a significant increase 36% in 2022. In sum, Europe has both seen immense impacts from the climate crisis and has made strides as a leader in climate innovation and renewables.

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Asia Hit Hard by Extreme Weather and Climate Change (World Meteorological Organization)

Immediately after releasing the European State of the Climate 2023, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) also produced the State of the Climate in Asia 2023. Like Europe, Asia faced devastating impacts of global warming last year. It is warming faster than the global average and experienced 79 extreme weather events. More than 80% were related to floods and storms. These extreme events led to a total of more than 2,000 deaths and significant infrastructure loss.

The High-Mountain Asia region on the Tibetan Plateau contains the largest volume of ice outside the polar region. However, over the last two decades, most of the glaciers have receded at a faster rate. Twenty of the twenty-two glaciers showed mass loss. Furthermore, permafrost in Russia has been rapidly thawing due to higher air temperatures in the Arctic.

While more than 82% of Asian states provide data services to support disaster risk reduction (DRR) in the region, less than 50% of regional National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) provide tailored products for the DRR community. Given this lack of data and the amount and intensity of extreme weather events in the region this year, Asian countries urgently need to provide specific support and services to mitigate disaster risks.

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