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Climate Rights : Feasible or Not?

Brandstedt, Eric LU and Bergman, Anna-Karin LU (2013) In Environmental Politics 22(3). p.394-409
Abstract
Scholars have argued that we have compelling reasons to combat climate change because it threatens human rights, referred to here as ‘climate rights’. The prospects of climate rights are analysed assuming two basic desiderata: its accuracy in capturing the normative dimension of climate change (reasons to prevent/mitigate/adapt to climate change); and its ability to generate political measures. In order for climate rights to meet these desiderata certain conditions must be satisfied: important human interests are put at risk by global climate change; there is an identified rights-holder and obligation-bearer; this relationship is codified in a legitimate formal structure; it is feasible to claim the rights; an ‘enforcement mechanism’ (not... (More)
Scholars have argued that we have compelling reasons to combat climate change because it threatens human rights, referred to here as ‘climate rights’. The prospects of climate rights are analysed assuming two basic desiderata: its accuracy in capturing the normative dimension of climate change (reasons to prevent/mitigate/adapt to climate change); and its ability to generate political measures. In order for climate rights to meet these desiderata certain conditions must be satisfied: important human interests are put at risk by global climate change; there is an identified rights-holder and obligation-bearer; this relationship is codified in a legitimate formal structure; it is feasible to claim the rights; an ‘enforcement mechanism’ (not necessarily of legal character) could strengthen compliance. When asserting climate rights it is insufficient to consider the moral ground or actual enforcement possibilities by themselves. Normative and practical aspects are closely interlinked and must be studied in tandem. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
climate change, human rights, climate rights, feasibility, enforceability
in
Environmental Politics
volume
22
issue
3
pages
394 - 409
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • wos:000318772600003
  • scopus:84877857393
ISSN
0964-4016
DOI
10.1080/09644016.2013.775723
project
LUCID - Lund University Centre of Excellence for Integration of Social and Natural Dimensions of Sustainability
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
7e797174-dc8f-4577-b0f6-5ee3db8565ba (old id 3046312)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:02:39
date last changed
2022-01-25 19:11:51
@article{7e797174-dc8f-4577-b0f6-5ee3db8565ba,
  abstract     = {{Scholars have argued that we have compelling reasons to combat climate change because it threatens human rights, referred to here as ‘climate rights’. The prospects of climate rights are analysed assuming two basic desiderata: its accuracy in capturing the normative dimension of climate change (reasons to prevent/mitigate/adapt to climate change); and its ability to generate political measures. In order for climate rights to meet these desiderata certain conditions must be satisfied: important human interests are put at risk by global climate change; there is an identified rights-holder and obligation-bearer; this relationship is codified in a legitimate formal structure; it is feasible to claim the rights; an ‘enforcement mechanism’ (not necessarily of legal character) could strengthen compliance. When asserting climate rights it is insufficient to consider the moral ground or actual enforcement possibilities by themselves. Normative and practical aspects are closely interlinked and must be studied in tandem.}},
  author       = {{Brandstedt, Eric and Bergman, Anna-Karin}},
  issn         = {{0964-4016}},
  keywords     = {{climate change; human rights; climate rights; feasibility; enforceability}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{394--409}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Environmental Politics}},
  title        = {{Climate Rights : Feasible or Not?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09644016.2013.775723}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/09644016.2013.775723}},
  volume       = {{22}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}