The Rights of Children and Youth in the Climate Crisis

The climate crisis is a human rights crisis as health, homes, education, and numerous other areas of human life are affected. In this work, the authors examine how the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child applies to the climate crisis and argue that children and youth are rights-makers, reshaping legal and political norms for everyone. The authors also analyse ways in which children/youth are leading the fight against climate change with rights advocacy. Their climate action at national level, in international forums, and in the courts is examined. It is concluded that children/youth have had distinct impacts across these different arenas in which human rights are shaped. Participation rights for children/youth, then, are bringing tangible change not just for themselves, but for everyone.

The book will be an invaluable resource for academics, researchers and policy-makers working in human rights law, children’s rights, environmental law, childhood studies and social policy. It will also likely benefit climate advocates, litigators, and others as it outlines doctrinal footholds and procedural innovations in the area.