Press release on work done by volunteers on our Environmental Justice Project: 

During the period May-June 2024, students from the University of Strathclyde offered support to the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on Climate Change and Human Rights, Elisa Morgera, by carrying out background research as part of their law clinic experience.

The research was relevant for the preparation of the first two thematic reports of the Rapporteur, who started her mandate on 1 May 2024 and delivered a report on intersectionality (UN Doc A/HRC/56/46) in June and another report on access to information on climate change and human rights (UN Doc A/79/176) in mid-July.

The Rapporteur discussed the first report at the Human Rights Council in July 2024 (see video-recording of a short presentation; and the full dialogue, see also here and here); and will discuss the second report at the UN General Assembly in October 2024.

The UN Special Rapporteur is a pro-bono and independent position supported by the UN. The UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change role entails contributing to the development of international human rights standards to address and prevent the adverse effects of climate change on human rights in national policymaking, legislation and planning, as well as in international cooperation and in the business sector. The Special Rapporteur’s work aims to contribute to the achievement of SDG13 and SDG14, supporting the resilience and adaptive capacities of people in vulnerable situations to respond to the adverse impacts of climate change.

Many thanks to Elisa Morgera, for bringing this work to our students, Gillian Melville, for supervising student involvement, and to the following student advisors who were involved in this research: Jasleen Kaur, Jennifer Thompson, Alison Duncan and, Natalie Houston.