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	Air pollution is driving widespread human rights violations by UN Office for Human Rights   Mar. 2026   UN experts urge states to support UN General Assembly resolution operationalising ICJ Advisory Opinion on climate obligations   All states must support a UN General Assembly resolution upholding the 2025 Advisory Opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on climate change obligations, UN experts said today, expressing concern about attempts to block discussion of the proposal.   “The timing of the United Nations General Assembly resolution is critical,” the experts said, as the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu leads negotiations on the resolution during the second half of May.   The proposal comes amidst new data indicating that the 1.5°C limit on global temperature rise under the Paris Agreement could be exceeded as early as May 2029, and recent cyclones, hurricanes, forest fires and floods across Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and Africa have already caused severe human rights impacts and losses.   “The Advisory Opinion was unanimous in response to a consensus request from the General Assembly,” they recalled. “The Opinion is based on a range of international legally binding sources of international law on how to effectively prevent further climate harm and its devastating impacts on lives, societies and economies.”   “We are gravely concerned about attempts to block the resolution from being considered at the UNGA,” the experts said. “States must comply with their obligations to cooperate in the effective protection of the environment, the climate system and human rights.”   “There is a disturbing pattern of growing obstruction across UN processes against explicit references to fossil fuels and the ICJ Advisory Opinion, including at the Human Rights Council,” they warned.   They noted that States at the UN Climate Conference of November 2025 (COP30) were unable to uphold the legal and scientific standards clarified by the ICJ, or agree on meaningful outcomes on climate mitigation.   “States must not delay “difficult” conversations,” the experts said, calling on countries to step up efforts to find inclusive, meaningful ways to comply with international obligations and effectively protect people from inter-linked planetary crises, growing economic inequality and armed aggression connected with the fossil fuel-based economy.   “We applaud over 80 States from different regions that pointed out the problematic dynamics at COP30 and launched a separate multilateral conference to advance concrete and fair action to transition away from fossil fuels, under the leadership of Colombia and the Netherlands.”   The draft resolution could support a collaborative and inclusive approach to fulfilling States’ obligations to legislate on the fossil fuel phase-out, remove fossil fuel subsidies, document climate harm and respond to reparation claims, the experts said. These efforts could complement the Paris Agreement’s Loss and Damage Fund, which remains severely underfunded and in need of reform to support affected communities.   “Instead of resorting to adversarial measures, States must see this resolution as something that will benefit them all, through mutual learning and international cooperation on the climate crisis that is spreading across all continents,” they said.   The experts recalled that reparations identified by the ICJ overlap with States’ pre-existing obligations to prevent environmental and human rights harm, conserve and restore ecosystems, and fund effective environmental action in countries most affected by climate change and least responsible for it.   “A General Assembly resolution will set the direction for multilateral action towards the effective protection of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, including a safe climate, as a precondition for peace and the enjoyment of all human rights by present and future generations,” they said.   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/03/un-experts-urge-states-support-general-assembly-resolution-operationalising http://www.coe.int/en/web/commissioner/-/climate-action-and-accountability-for-survival http://www.hrw.org/news/2026/03/16/governments-should-support-vanuatus-un-climate-resolution http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/02/global-governments-must-use-new-un-general-assembly-resolution-to-turn-icjs-advisory-opinion-on-climate-change-into-robust-action   Mar. 2026   Air pollution is driving widespread human rights violations   The Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, Astrid Puentes Riano, called on States, entities and businesses to address the dual public health and human rights crisis of air pollution.   “Continued inaction on air pollution is a systemic failure,” Puentes Riano said. “Under international law, States are required to act on the evidence they have.”   In a new report presented to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the expert highlighted priority actions centering on human rights to advance clean air, and to protect public health and the right to a healthy environment.   “Despite clean air being vital and a substantive element of the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, most of the global population do not breathe healthy air due to insufficient health and environmental protections, and because economic growth and industrial activities are too often prioritised over human rights.”   According to the World Health Organisation, air pollution is linked to approximately 6-8 million premature deaths worldwide each year, and is associated with 83% of noncommunicable diseases, including heart disease, stroke, cancer and chronic respiratory illnesses. Evidence shows that air pollution affects every organ of the human body and contributes to long-term disability and reduced quality of life.   These impacts are not shared equally. Children, women, the elderly, pregnant people, outdoor workers and those with pre-existing health conditions face disproportionately high exposure and risk levels, often with no choice.   “Where exposure is shaped by immutable factors, air pollution increases inequality and discrimination” the expert said. “The right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment cannot be realised where entire communities have no choice but to breathe unclean air.”   The report notes that under international human rights law, States have clear obligations to prevent foreseeable harm, regulate and monitor polluting activities, ensure access to information and to protect populations at heightened risk.   The Special Rapporteur also highlighted the responsibilities of businesses to avoid causing or contributing to air pollution, conduct robust human rights and environmental due diligence, protect workers’ health and reduce emissions in line with scientific standards.   The report makes several recommendations for States, cities, subnational governments, business and international organisations, including ensuring integrated air quality, human rights and climate change planning, identifying air pollution hotspots and prioritising interventions to protect vulnerable populations.   “Air pollution is not merely an environmental concern, it is a critical issue that is already costing millions of lives and trillions of dollars in economic loss. But it doesn’t have to be this way,” the expert said.   “Protecting people from air pollution is not only possible – it is required. Clean air is a fundamental human right, not a privilege.”   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/03/air-pollution-driving-widespread-human-rights-violations-un-expert http://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/61/47 http://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-environment/annual-thematic-reports   24 Feb. 2026   Ocean governance must be grounded in international law   UN experts today urged States to ensure that any new regulations governing the deep seabed, including a code on mining, are firmly grounded in international law, including international human rights law, and implement the precautionary principle.   “The deep seabed is not an industrial frontier, it is one of the most fragile and least understood ecosystems on Earth, and its protection is a legal obligation under international law and human rights law,” the experts said, ahead of the 31st session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA). “Any regulatory framework must reflect States’ binding obligation to protect the environment and the climate system and prevent human rights and environmental harm.”   The UN experts recalled recent Advisory Opinions of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) which clarify obligations to protect the ocean and the climate system. Under customary international law, States have obligations to protect the marine environment and the climate system that are owed to the international community as a whole – obligations that require stringent due diligence.   The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, which recently came into force, strengthens this legal framework. All these international obligations must be considered and respected by the International Seabed Authority.   The experts also reminded that businesses have obligations and responsibilities with respect to the protection of the environment and the climate system, and their impacts on human rights, in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.   “The deep seabed hosts most of the ocean’s estimated one million species, sustains global biodiversity, and constitutes the planet’s largest carbon sink, thus being critical for climate regulation,” the experts said.   They warned that deep-sea mining linked with the rush to critical minerals poses serious environmental, climate and human rights risks. Scientific research increasingly suggests that such mining could cause severe and potentially irreversible damage to marine biodiversity, disperse toxic pollutants, destroy seafloor habitats, release stored carbon, and disrupt ocean carbon sequestration processes.   In addition, mining operations are highly energy-intensive and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions which aggravate the climate crisis and its adverse human rights impacts.   “Courts have concluded that the precautionary principle must be respected when there is scientific uncertainty about how to effectively prevent significant or irreversible harm to the environment and to human health of present and future generations, as in the case of deep-sea bed mining” the experts said.   Indigenous Peoples, small-scale fishers, and Small Island Developing States rely heavily on healthy marine ecosystems for food security, livelihoods and culture, which increases their vulnerability to potential impacts.   “Threats to the deep sea are threats to human rights,” the experts said. “Indigenous Peoples, small-scale fishers and coastal communities all depend on a healthy ocean to survive. Their enjoyment of their human rights is at stake- including rights to food, to health, and to a healthy environment, including a safe climate and healthy ecosystems and biodiversity, as well as cultural rights.”   They stressed that deep-seabed governance must be transparent, inclusive, participatory, science-based, and oriented toward protecting the human rights of both present and future generations.   “Marine activities that pose significant risks for humanity must not be authorised,” the experts said. “The deep seabed is the common heritage of humankind, thus governance must consistently protect it,” they said.   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/02/ocean-governance-must-be-grounded-international-law-un-experts http://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/58/59
	War-driven energy price spikes highlight value of renewables: UN climate chief by UNFCCC, UNEP, news agencies   16 Mar. 2026   War-driven energy price spikes highlight value of renewables: UN climate chief   The disruption of global energy supplies is being felt worldwide, the UN’s top climate change official warned, as conflict in the Middle East drives oil and gas prices sharply higher – echoing the market turmoil triggered by the war in Ukraine.   Speaking at the 2026 Green Growth Summit in Brussels, Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), said the volatility underscored the strategic value of renewable energy.   “Renewables turn the tables,” he said during a keynote address to the event, which brings together European climate and environment ministers alongside businesses, investors and other key stakeholders.   “Sunlight doesn’t depend on narrow and vulnerable shipping straits, wind blows without massive taxpayer-funded naval escorts and renewable energy allows countries to insulate themselves from global turmoil and to side-step might-is-right politics.”   Renewable energy delivers on people’s top priorities: security, well-paid jobs, better health and relief from rising living costs, he added.   “Fossil fuel dependency is ripping away national security and sovereignty and replacing it with subservience and rising costs,” he said, adding that the reality is what most voters are demanding, climate action delivers at scale. “Renewables and resilience keep bills down and create far more jobs,” he said.   “Cutting out fossil fuel pollution cleans our air, improving health and quality of life.”   “Some responses to the fossil fuel crisis, incredibly, argue for doubling down on the cause of the problem and slowing the shift to renewable energy even though it is clearly cheaper, safer, and faster to market,”   “This is completely delusional because history tells us, this fossil fuel crisis will happen again and again,” Mr. Steill said, adding that fossil fuel dependency means economies, household budgets and business bottom lines are “at the mercy of geopolitical shocks and price volatility in a chaotic world”.   His message was simple: Meek dependence on fossil fuel imports will leave countries forever lurching from crisis to crisis, with households and industries literally paying the price.   10 Mar. 2026   The Iran war has sent oil and gas prices soaring. Countries invested in renewable energy are better protected. (DW)   Countries that generate more of their power from wind, solar and other renewable sources are better protected from global energy shocks, experts say, as the escalating conflict in the Middle East rattles global markets.   The war has widened since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran more than 10 days ago. Critical infrastructure in the region has come under attack and the risk of Iranian strikes has essentially shut down the Strait of Hormuz,the crucial waterway used to transport 20% of the world's oil and gas.   The disruption means fuel may struggle to reach the countries that depend on it to generate electricity, heat homes, power industry and run transport. The resulting supply squeeze is pushing prices higher around the world and intensifying cost-of-living pressures.   "Energy is the lifeblood of our societies and our industries," said Antony Froggatt, aviation, shipping and energy expert at Brussels-based NGO Transport & Environment. "And we're still highly dependent on fossil fuels."   The world still gets about 80% of its primary energy from fossil fuels, the main source of greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change. In his second term, US President Donald Trump has doubled down on fossil fuels, scrapping Biden-era green energy and climate regulations aimed at cutting emissions.   That dependence makes economies and societies vulnerable to geopolitical shocks, said Rana Adib, executive secretary of the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21).   Countries with a higher share of "homegrown" renewables in their energy mix are "less vulnerable to these shocks," she argued.   "Once you bring the technology into the countries, the fuel you're using is the sun, is the wind, is the heat that is local," Adib told DW. "And this is a reason why renewable energy as a solution for energy production is much more resilient to those global shocks."   Uruguay bets on wind and hydro   After the financial crisis in 2008, unease about a reliance on oil and gas imports was what drove Uruguay to go all in on renewables.   Two decades ago, the small South American country with a population of 3.5 million embarked on a plan to phase fossil fuels out of its power grid by rapidly expanding wind farms.   Today, more than 90% of the country's electricity comes from renewables — mainly wind, solar, hydropower and biofuels. That figure has reached 98% in some particularly wet and windy years.   "It shows us that a 100% renewable electricity grid is fully possible," said Adib, adding that Uruguay has managed to do so without the massive amounts of storage required for when the sun isn't shining and wind isn't blowing.   Adib said the shift to green power helped limit Uruguay's exposure to past energy price surges.   "During the energy crisis linked to the war in in Ukraine, Uruguay energy prices remained stable," Adib said. "This is extremely important because it means that the inflation does not hit this country in the same way as a country that has a high dependence on fossil fuel imports."   Adib said the investment in renewables created 50,000 jobs and has allowed the country to save $500 million in energy import costs annually. Uruguay is now moving to electrify its public transport system and decarbonize industry.   Another country that has significantly reduced reliance on fossil fuels is Denmark. The oil crisis in the 1970s hit the Scandinavian country hard, prompting it to begin developing renewables early.   Today, more than 80% of Denmark's electricity is supplied by green energy, with wind making up almost 60% of that amount, followed by biogas. The country of 6 million has cut its planet-heating emissions by half since 1990 and wants to have a fossil-fuel free electricity system by 2030.   Its district heating systems, which link up more than 65% of homes, have largely phased out coal and are planned to rely 100% on renewable biomethane by 2030.   Froggatt said having renewables dominate the grid keeps prices down, citing an IMF study showing that every 1% increase in the amount of renewables translates on average to the wholesale electricity price falling by 0.6%.   "And that's in normal circumstances. Obviously, when you have vastly inflated gas prices, then the economic advantage of renewables goes up even higher," he added.   He says that consumers will only be protected from rising oil and gas prices when things like transport and heating are fully electrified, for example, with electric vehicles and heat pumps.   High fossil fuel prices and the vulnerability of the commodities to supply bottlenecks make clean energy more competitive and financially attractive, as well as pressuring governments to find alternative solutions, say analysts.   "The current crisis shows again that we need to enter the renewable-based era and leave the fossil fuel-based era behind" if we want societies and economies that are more resilient, said Adib.   Accelerating renewables to secure a more stable energy supply will take greater investment and system change. Though green power sources are now much cheaper than fossil fuels, oil and gas are highly subsidized. Froggatt says making the switch is not just about slowing climate change, but also about energy security.   http://unfccc.int/news/un-climate-chief-in-brussels-fossil-fuel-dependency-is-ripping-away-national-security-and http://news.un.org/en/story/2026/03/1167135 http://www.dw.com/en/iran-war-sends-oil-prices-soaring-these-countries-are-better-protected-thanks-to-renewables/a-76294122 http://coveringclimatenow.org/from-us-story/dont-miss-the-santa-marta-climate-conference/ http://transitionawayconference.com/press-releases http://transitionawayconference.com/contributions http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/07/iran-war-oil-phase-out-fossil-fuels http://www.fossilfueltreaty.org/briefing-pack http://www.fossilfueltreaty.org/latest#newsroom http://www.clientearth.org/latest/news/fossil-fuels-and-energy-security-what-s-the-issue/ http://dialogue.earth/en/energy/energy-security-is-national-security-and-it-starts-at-the-subnational-level/ http://dialogue.earth/en/climate/the-gulf-conflict-shows-climate-finance-must-evolve-to-withstand-geopolitics http://www.carbonbrief.org/state-of-the-climate-strong-el-nino-puts-2026-on-track-for-second-warmest-year/   Feb. 2026   UN climate chief says 'new world disorder' threatens climate action cooperation. (AFP)   The UN's climate chief has urged countries to unite against an "unprecedented threat" to international cooperation from pro-fossil fuel forces.   Simon Stiell, the head of the United Nations climate body, spoke in Istanbul as Turkey prepares to host the COP31 climate summit on its Mediterranean coast later this year, with Australia leading the negotiations.   "COP31 in Antalya will take place in extraordinary times. We find ourselves in a new world disorder," Stiell said in an address alongside the president-designate of COP31, Turkish environment minister Murat Kurum.   "This is a period of instability and insecurity. Of strong arms and trade wars. The very concept of international cooperation is under attack," he said.   He did not name any countries but his plea comes as climate action is competing with concerns over security and economic growth around the world.   US President Donald Trump has championed oil, gas and coal while moving to withdraw the United States from the UN's bedrock climate treaty after pulling out of the Paris Agreement, the landmark deal reached in 2015 on curbing global warming.   Stiell said in a news conference that the "door remains open" to welcoming the United States back to the fold.   The American leader, who has called global warming a "hoax", has revoked a landmark scientific finding that underpins US regulations aimed at curbing planet-warming pollution.   The COP30 summit in Brazil late last year ended with a modest deal that lacked any explicit mention of fossil fuels amid opposition from oil giants such as Saudi Arabia, Gulf States, Russia and coal producer India among others.   The United States, the world's largest economy and second-biggest polluter after China, shunned COP30.   The last three years have been the hottest globally on record, driven by rising greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change.   Stiell warned that international climate cooperation was "under unprecedented threat: from those determined to use their power to defy economic and scientific logic, and increase dependence on polluting coal, oil and gas".   "Those forces are undeniably strong. But they need not prevail. There is a clear alternative to this chaos and regression," he said. "And that is countries standing together, building on all we have achieved to date, to make it (international global cooperation) go further and faster."   He noted that investment in clean energy was more than double that of fossil fuels last year, while renewables overtook coal as the top electricity source.   "Security is the word on most leaders' lips, yet many cling to a definition that is dangerously narrow," Stiell said, warning that rising greenhouse gases mean "escalating climate extremes fuelling famine, displacement, and war".   Stiell urged nations to deliver on their 2023 agreement at COP28 in Dubai to triple clean energy capacity by 2030 and transition away from fossil fuels, and for the most ambitious to form "coalitions of the willing".   "Climate cooperation is an antidote to the chaos and coercion of this moment, and clean energy is the obvious solution to spiralling fossil fuel costs, both human and economic," he said.   http://www.unep.org/resources/global-environment-outlook-7 http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/09/food-fossil-fuel-production-5bn-environmental-damage-an-hour-un-geo-report- http://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1w9ge93w9po http://www.unep.org/resources/state-finance-nature-2026 http://hdr.undp.org/content/new-climate-dataset-warns-poorest-nations
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