Climate change is the most serious environmental problem that the world faces today, having a major impact on the basic elements of human life. This will directly affect a range of fundamental rights: the right to life, suitable living conditions, safety, health, food and water. (…)

(…) The initial climate change debate focused on physical and natural impacts; it is now time to take stock of the consequences on human societies. Climate change raises important questions about social justice, equity and human rights across countries and across generations. An inter-secretariat group within the Council of Europe that represents many different entities and sectors has been meeting to exchange information and discuss possible common initiatives. One of these is the organisation of a conference to examine the issue of “climate change and human rights” from various perspectives, to take place in 2012 (Note of the Author: this conference has been recently postponed to March 2013).


Visit the climate change website that act as a knowledge base.  It is now operational :

http://www.coe.int/web/coe-portal/what-we-do/culture-and-nature/climate-change)

and contains all the relevant documentation on climate change.