Publications

NIHRC Briefing Paper: Human Rights and Climate Change

Date produced: October 2025

Below is a summary of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission's (NIHRC) recommendations and messages.
You can also download the full document through the links provided.

Summary recommendations/messages

• all decisions taken by NI Executive Departments in relation to climate action should be informed by international human rights standards and norms. Rather than dealing with human rights and climate change as separate issues, the NIHRC recommends that greater cohesion is necessary;
• the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs study in
  detail the relevant EU environmental law and relevant CJEU jurisprudence with the objective of identifying and clarifying binding minimum standards on environmental protection that underpin human rights;
• the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs ensures climate justice values are adopted in all laws and policies aimed at tackling climate change, including ensuring there is a focus on the specific needs of and preventative measures for those most affected, including children. This includes taking steps to monitor and address poor air quality in NI.
• the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs takes immediate steps to set up a Just Transition Commission, which is
  sufficiently resourced and funded, with a mandate that allows for effective oversight functions to monitor the Department’s implementation of the just transition principle under the Climate Change Act (NI) 2022.