5 November 2026
Australia’s offer of global
leadership in its role as UN Climate COP31 Co-President must
be reflected in ambitious human rights-based climate action,
UN experts* said today.
“Global leadership,
particularly by an historically high-emitting country,
should be backed up by the highest level of ambition,
domestically and internationally, in climate change
mitigation, notably the phasing out of fossil fuels, in line
with applicable international obligations and human rights,
including the human right to a healthy environment,” the
experts said.
Warming across the Australian continent
has already reached +1.5ºC and Australia’s 2035
Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement
is misaligned with the 1.5°C pathway. This raises concerns
about Australia’s commitment to regional partnership with
Pacific Island States, who are among the States most
affected by climate change and least responsible for it.
Australia organised the Pacific Pre-COP in October, at the
heart of which was keeping the global 1.5°C degree target
within reach.
“Climate change is exposing children
and young people in Australia to repeated traumatic climate
events, severe disruptions of their education and family
lives, undermining of cultural and recreational
relationships with nature, along with ongoing climate
anxiety and emotional distress about the future,” the
experts highlighted. “The impacts on children in the
Pacific region have been even more protracted, severe and
widespread.”
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In its first report on climate change,
the Australian Human Rights Commission called for phasing
out fossil fuels. Yet, the Australian government has
approved over a dozen new coal mines or expansions and other
fossil fuel projects since 2022.
The experts
underscored the foreseeable, widespread and
inter-generational harm to human health and food
systems on land and in the ocean
arising from fossil fuels across their life cycle and in all
their forms (including plastics, pesticides and
fertilisers), which must be prevented in any decision about
the energy transition, climate technologies and reliance on
carbon
markets , including as part of international
cooperation.
“We welcome the recent court decision
in New South Wales which clarified that all harm to the
climate system, including as overseas emissions linked to
coal mining in Australia, must be assessed by planning and
licensing authorities before approving any project,” the
experts said. “Justice systems at the front line of the
climate crisis must raise to the challenge. Their work
cannot be undermined or disregarded.”
“We hope
this is the first in a series of steps to ensure
Australia’s compliance with its stringent due diligence
obligations to prevent significant harm to the environment,
the climate system and human rights, by phasing out fossil
fuels,” they said.
These concerns have been brought
to the attention of the Government of Australia. The
experts acknowledge the reply received and look forward to
continuing this dialogue at COP31 and in the lead up to the
second International Conference on Transitioning Away from
Fossil Fuels.
Notes:
*The
experts:
- Elisa Morgera, the
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human
rights in the context of climate
change - Astrid Puentes Riaño, the Special
Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and
sustainable environment (www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-environment) - Margaret
Satterthwaite, the Special Rapporteur on the independence of
judges and lawyers (www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-independence-of-judges-and-lawyers)
Special
Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are
independent human rights experts appointed by the United
Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are
referred to as the Special
Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special
Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not
UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While
the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for
Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual
capacity and are independent fromany government or
organisation, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or
opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not
necessarily represent those of the UN or
OHCHR.
