Climate change, human rights and sustainability

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore the links between climate action, human rights and sustainability. The study is performed through an extensive literature review, combining aspects PRISMA guidelines and the Recursive Content Abstraction (RCA) analytical approach. First, we present the intrinsic relationship between climate change and SDGs, and how their compliance could be affected by climate change. Next, we analyze the evolution of human rights, and how present and future climate change impacts can harm the human rights of the first, second, third and fourth generations. We also discuss the importance of the government´s policies and actions to protect and guarantee human rights within the actual reality of climate change effects, adaptation, and mitigation in the face of sustainable development goals (SDGs). We sustain that both national policies and international cooperation are necessary to affront the climate change challenges, guaranteeing the human rights at the same time. Based on the topics discussed, at the end the paper presents some final remarks.