Changes

In August 2013 floods inundated up to one fifth of Pakistan and affected an estimated 20 million people.<ref>"5 natural disasters that beg for climate action", retrieved from: https://www.oxfam.org/en/campaigns/5-natural-disasters-beg-climate-action#</ref> In 2014, at least 14 extreme weather events were caused by human-induced climate change, including a deadly snowstorm in Nepal and a heat wave in Argentina that crashed power supplies. <ref>"Half of Weather Disasters Linked to Climate Change", retrieved from: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/11/151105-climate-weather-disasters-drought-storms/</ref> Climate change is real and it is affecting the life of millions with extreme weather events, thereby threatening basic human rights. Coordinated and efficient International Cooperation are key to minimize human influence on climate, as well as to help developing countries - who are affected the most affected by climate change - to deal with the unreal ammount of economical and social damages damage of climate change has made and will continue to make in the future.

'''Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions'''have increased dramatically, primarily due to the use of fossil fuel use, have increased dramaticallyfuels, thus causing an increase in Earth’s average temperature. The impacts impact of this unprecedented warming – including floods and drought, droughts, rising sea levels, spread of diseases such as malaria and dengue fever, increasing numbers of violent natural disasters – are to be more severe and imminent than previously believed and threaten fundamental human rights, including such as the rights right to life, health, water, food, shelter, work and self-determination. In fact, vulnerable groups, including women - which account 80% of global climate refugees -, children, disabled and indigenous peoples, are particularly at risk.

Sustainable Development is defined as the development that assists the '''needs of today''' without compromising the ability of the '''future generations''' also meeting to meet their needs. This definition is based on two key concepts – the '''needs''' of the poor and of those who can not meet their needs provide for basic living standards by themselves; and the '''limitations''' to meet such those needs such as the ones created by a result of the environment, political and social circumstances and technologic advances. Sustainability policies in the field of climate change need to be centred on the principles of equity and future justice.

The actual objective of the sustainable development concept is balanced economic, social and environmental development and not defined solely in terms of economic growth. Sustainability policies in the field of climate change need to be centred on the principles of equity and future justice - or how we can ensure that we have a future world to live in, without sacrificing the living standards of current generations, for both developed and developingcountries and should be addressed as a global problem that includes much more variables than economic growth.The Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR), in its March 2009 study on climate change and human rights.<ref>[https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G09/103/44/PDF/G0910344.pdf?OpenElement], “Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the relationship between climate change and human rights”, retrieved from: https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G09/103/44/PDF/G0910344.pdf?OpenElement.</ref> noted that climate change is a global problem that can only be effectively addressed through '''international cooperation''', as it affects disproportionately poorer countries with the weakest ability to protect their citizens. It also emphasizes States’ obligations under international human rights law and the '''[[right to development]]''', proclaimed by the United Nations (UN) in the Declaration on the Right to Development, to protect individuals whose rights are affected by the impacts of climate change or by policies to address climate change. Yet, so far, '''governments and international cooperation have been unsuccessful in solving the climate change issue.'''

Thus, following on It is also important to take into account the '''[[right to development]]historycal responsability''' and taking into account that arises due to the disproportion of both GHG emissions, that are and were historically mostly emitted by developed countries, and the fact that most of the consequences are being undertaken by developing nations due to . Even though climate change affects every country and will impact the lives of everyone, developing countries are mostly affected because of differential factors such as income, race, class, gender, capital and political representation. Thus, following on the '''[[right to development]]''' arises the concept of '''[[climate justice]]''' and of '''common but differentiated responsibilities''', which is central to the climate change regime.

The idea that climate change is solely an environmental issue misses the bigger picture - '''climate change represents and perpetuates power imbalances across the world'''. The industrialised nations of the Global North emit about '''80%''' of global greenhouse gases, while developing nations from the Global South face the worst impacts. In fact, with global warming posing poses a threat to some southern vulnerable countries’ survival- rising sea levels will contaminate the drinking water, agriculture, infrastructure and threaten biodiversity in the coastal areas, making some uninhabitable. It is even predicted that entire cities could flood, including Rotterdam and Sydney. Some islands in Africa, Asia and South America are facing the risk of disappearing under water. The regions that will be most affected by the rising sea levels are east, south east and south Asia.<ref>"Sea-Level Rise and Impacts in Africa, 2000 to 2100. Application of the DIVA model to Africa.", retrieved from: https://www.weadapt.org/knowledge-base/economics-of-adaptation/impacts-of-sea-level-rise-in-africa</ref>

So, the debate centers on the obligation of industrialized states - due to '''historical responsibility''' - and international organizations to provide development assistance to developing countriesand to invest in energy proportionate to what they emit and use. The current controversy also focuses on the process of globalization, including the right and possibility of equal participation of developing countries in that process, and its relation to human rights. However, '''the climate change fight is difficult if only developed countries reduce their emissions'''. Developing countries, especially the most advanced ones, need to take a part too.