Groups Affected by Climate Change and Those Bearing Responsibility for Its Consequences

Abstract

Climate change has clear and immediate consequences on the full enjoyment of human rights, such as the right to life, the right to participate in cultural life, the right to own property, the right to an adequate standard of living, the right to access food, and the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. These rights may be significantly impacted by climate effects on various human groups, including minorities, children, persons with disabilities, women, refugees, and migrants. States, as primary subjects of international law, must primarily cooperate and adopt shared procedures to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on human groups. They should use all available safeguards to adapt these groups equitably and without discrimination to climate change, ensuring the protection of human rights from commercial harm. Additionally, business enterprises, as major contributors to climate change acceleration, must comply with maximum environmental standards to mitigate harmful effects. This article is structured using a descriptive-analytical method and a library-based approach.