Why Climate Change Is a Threat to Human Rights | Mary Robinson | TED Talks

Summary

In this speech, the speaker reflects on her journey from being the first female President of Ireland to advocating for human rights and climate justice. She emphasizes the disproportionate impact of climate change on vulnerable populations and the urgent need for global solidarity to transition to renewable energy and achieve sustainable development goals.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The speaker's early life in Ireland instilled in her a passion for human rights, equality, and justice.
• 👩‍💼 As the first woman President of Ireland, she focused on inclusivity and peacebuilding, especially between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
• 🤝 She fostered diplomatic relations by being the first Irish president to visit the UK and meet Queen Elizabeth II, and also welcomed members of the royal family to Ireland.
• 📈 During her presidency, Ireland experienced rapid economic progress, partly due to solidarity from the European Union.
• 🌱 She led trade delegations to encourage investment and improve the country's economy, health system, and education.
• 🏝️ The president of Kiribati is facing the harsh reality of climate change, which threatens the very existence of his country.
• 🌡️ The impacts of climate change are disproportionately felt by those who contribute the least to greenhouse gas emissions, such as in Uganda and Malawi.
• 🌱 The speaker's work in African countries revealed the devastating effects of climate change on people's lives and their rights to basic necessities.
• 🌿 Climate justice is a moral imperative to address the disproportionate effects of climate change on the most vulnerable.
• 🔄 The need for a global shift to renewable energy and zero carbon emissions by 2050 is crucial to prevent catastrophic climate change.
• 🌟 There is a growing momentum for change, with various countries and organizations committing to renewable energy and carbon-neutral goals.

Q & A

What was the early influence that sparked the speaker's interest in human rights and justice?

The speaker's early influence came from growing up in a large family in the west of Ireland, where she had to fight for her rights among her siblings.

During which years did the speaker serve as the first woman President of Ireland?

The speaker served as the first woman President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997.

What was the speaker's focus during her presidency?

During her presidency, she focused on creating a space for marginalized people in Ireland and fostering peace between communities in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

What significant action did the speaker take to improve Ireland's economy?

The speaker led trade delegations to the United States, Japan, and India to encourage investment, create jobs, and build up Ireland's economy, health system, and education.

How did the speaker's perspective on climate change evolve?

Initially, climate change was not a focus for the speaker. However, her perspective evolved as she witnessed the impact of climate change on human rights, particularly during her work in African countries.

What is the concept of 'climate justice' as discussed by the speaker?

Climate justice, according to the speaker, is about addressing the moral argument to tackle climate change by supporting those who suffer the most and ensuring they are not left behind in climate action.

What is the current global goal for limiting global warming?

The global goal, as agreed upon by governments, is to stay below two degrees Celsius of warming above pre-Industrial standards.

What is the speaker's view on the current trajectory of global warming?

The speaker believes that the world is on course for about four degrees of warming, which she describes as an existential threat to the future of the planet.

What is the importance of the year 2015 mentioned in the script?

The year 2015 is highlighted as a pivotal year with two significant summits: one for sustainable development goals and another for a climate agreement, both crucial for addressing climate change and setting a path for a sustainable future.

What does the speaker suggest is the role of the international community in addressing climate change?

The speaker suggests that the international community must provide total support, including finance, technology, systems, and support, to help countries adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change.

How does the speaker envision the future if we successfully address climate change?

The speaker envisions a future that is more equal, fair, healthy, with better jobs and energy security, if we transition to renewable energy early and sufficiently.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Early Influences on Human Rights Advocacy

The speaker recounts their upbringing in Ireland, surrounded by siblings, which fostered an early interest in human rights, equality, and justice. They reflect on their tenure as the first female President of Ireland, focusing on inclusivity and peacebuilding between Northern Ireland and the Republic. The speaker also discusses Ireland's economic growth post-EU membership, their role in trade delegations, and the stark contrast with Kiribati's President Tong, who faces the existential threat of climate change, leading to a personal realization of the human rights implications of climate change.

05:00

🌱 The Reality of Climate Change Impact

The speaker delves into the personal stories that awakened them to the severity of climate change, particularly its disproportionate impact on the vulnerable. They share experiences from Uganda and Malawi, illustrating how unpredictable weather patterns have led to food scarcity, destroyed livelihoods, and highlighted the injustice of climate change. The speaker emphasizes the moral imperative to address climate change, linking it to the broader concept of climate justice, and underscores the urgency of global action to mitigate the crisis and protect the most affected communities.

10:04

🌿 The Path to Climate Justice

The speaker outlines the challenges of transitioning to a zero-carbon economy by 2050, emphasizing the need for industrialized nations to reduce emissions and for developing countries to grow sustainably. They highlight global efforts like California's emission targets, Hawaii's renewable energy legislation, and international commitments from Costa Rica and Ethiopia. The speaker calls for increased political will and solidarity, sharing President Tong's vision for Kiribati and urging the adoption of innovative solutions to combat climate change.

15:07

🌐 The Global Movement for Climate Action

The speaker discusses the upcoming sustainable development goals and the Paris climate agreement as critical steps towards a sustainable future. They argue that climate change is a universal issue requiring action from all sectors of society, including faith-based organizations, businesses, trade unions, women's movements, and youth. The speaker reflects on the significance of the Climate March and the collective momentum needed to drive change, emphasizing the importance of intergenerational responsibility and the potential for a more equal and just world powered by renewable energy.

20:08

🌱 The Call for a New Level of Consciousness

In the final paragraph, the speaker evokes the legacy of Wangari Maathai, a champion of the environment, to inspire a shift in global consciousness towards a higher moral ground. They urge immediate action in the pivotal year of 2015, during key summits, to secure a safe and sustainable world for future generations. The speaker encapsulates the collective responsibility to act on climate change, ensuring that the decisions made will be appreciated by future generations looking back on this period as a turning point in history.

Keywords

💡Human Rights

Human Rights refer to the basic rights and freedoms to which all individuals are entitled. In the video, the speaker's early life among siblings in Ireland instilled in her a passion for these rights, emphasizing equality and justice. This theme is central as she discusses her presidency and work towards marginalized communities, indicating the universal value of human rights.

💡Equality

Equality suggests the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, or opportunities. The speaker's narrative about growing up with brothers and using 'elbows' metaphorically illustrates the need for equality. It's a recurring theme as she discusses her presidency, aiming to create spaces for marginalized groups and to bridge divides, showing equality as a cornerstone of social justice.

💡Justice

Justice implies the principle of fair treatment and报酬, and the speaker's early life experiences are linked to her pursuit of justice. As President of Ireland, she worked to bring together communities in Northern Ireland and the Republic to build peace, highlighting justice as a key component of societal harmony and reconciliation.

💡Climate Change

Climate Change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. The speaker discusses the impact of climate change on human rights, particularly the rights to food, water, health, and shelter. It's portrayed as the greatest threat to human rights in the 21st century, underscoring the urgency of addressing it.

💡Sovereignty

Sovereignty is the full right and power of a governing body to govern itself without any interference from outside sources. The speaker mentions President Tong of Kiribati, who faces the threat of losing his nation's sovereignty due to climate change-induced displacement, illustrating the severe implications of climate change on national integrity.

💡Climate Justice

Climate Justice is the concept of fair treatment and everyone carrying an equal burden in addressing climate change and its impacts. The speaker advocates for climate justice by emphasizing the disproportionate impact of climate change on the most vulnerable populations and the need for a collective, equitable response.

💡Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy refers to power sources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale, such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power. The speaker highlights the need to transition to renewable energy to mitigate climate change, citing examples like Apple's commitment to renewable energy in China and the global push for clean energy.

💡Emissions

Emissions refer to the release of pollutants or greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The speaker discusses the need to reduce emissions to stay below the two-degree Celsius warming threshold, emphasizing the role of both developed and developing countries in curbing emissions.

💡Sustainable Development

Sustainable Development aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The speaker connects sustainable development goals with living in harmony with the Earth, suggesting a balance between development and environmental conservation.

💡Solidarity

Solidarity is the unity or agreement of individuals or groups with one another. The speaker calls for global solidarity to address climate change, emphasizing that no country can tackle this issue alone. The idea of 'migration with dignity' for Kiribati citizens is an example of solidarity in action.

💡Transformation

Transformation implies a profound or dramatic change in form or appearance. The speaker discusses the need for a transformative shift to a zero-carbon economy by 2050, which requires leaving known fossil fuel resources in the ground and adopting renewable energy sources, illustrating the scale of change needed.

Highlights

The speaker's early life in Ireland fostered a passion for human rights and justice.

As the first woman President of Ireland, she focused on inclusivity and peacebuilding.

Meeting Queen Elizabeth II and the Prince of Wales symbolized diplomatic progress.

Ireland's economic growth was significantly supported by the European Union.

The speaker led trade delegations to foster international investment and job creation.

Climate change impacts were not a consideration during her presidency.

President Tong of Kiribati faces the existential threat of climate change.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights did not foresee climate-induced nation extinction.

Climate change impacts are felt most by those who contribute the least to emissions.

The speaker's work in Africa revealed the devastating effects of climate on communities.

Climate justice addresses the moral imperative to act for those most affected.

Globally, 3 billion people are left behind without access to basic services.

The transition to zero carbon emissions by 2050 requires leaving most fossil fuels in the ground.

Developing countries face the challenge of growing their economies without emitting greenhouse gases.

International solidarity is essential for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Rapid changes towards renewable energy are happening but are still insufficient.

Political will is crucial for implementing ambitious climate change solutions.

The speaker calls for a new level of consciousness and moral ground on climate action.

The audience is urged to demand action for a safe world for future generations.

Transcripts

A question I'm often asked is,

where did I get my passion for human rights and justice?

It started early.

I grew up in the west of Ireland,

wedged between four brothers,

two older than me and two younger than me.

So of course I had to be interested in human rights,

and equality and justice,

and using my elbows!

(Laughter)

And those issues stayed with me and guided me,

and in particular,

when I was elected the first woman President of Ireland,

from 1990 to 1997.

I dedicated my presidency

to having a space for those who felt marginalized on the island of Ireland,

and bringing together communities from Northern Ireland

with those from the Republic,

trying to build peace.

And I went as the first Irish president to the United Kingdom

and met with Queen Elizabeth II,

and also welcomed to my official residence --

which we call "Áras an Uachtaráin," the house of the president --

members of the royal family,

including, notably, the Prince of Wales.

And I was aware that at the time of my presidency,

Ireland was a country beginning a rapid economic progress.

We were a country that was benefiting from the solidarity of the European Union.

Indeed, when Ireland first joined the European Union in 1973,

there were parts of the country that were considered developing,

including my own beloved native county, County Mayo.

I led trade delegations here to the United States,

to Japan, to India,

to encourage investment, to help to create jobs,

to build up our economy,

to build up our health system, our education --

our development.

What I didn't have to do as president

was buy land on mainland Europe,

so that Irish citizens could go there because our island was going underwater.

What I didn't have to think about,

either as president or as a constitutional lawyer,

was the implications for the sovereignty of the territory

because of the impact of climate change.

But that is what President Tong, of the Republic of Kiribati,

has to wake up every morning thinking about.

He has bought land in Fiji as an insurance policy,

what he calls, "migration with dignity,"

because he knows that his people may have to leave their islands.

As I listened to President Tong describing the situation,

I really felt that this was a problem that no leader should have to face.

And as I heard him speak about the pain of his problems,

I thought about Eleanor Roosevelt.

I thought about her and those who worked with her

on the Commission on Human Rights, which she chaired in 1948,

and drew up the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

For them, it would have been unimaginable

that a whole country could go out of existence

because of human-induced climate change.

I came to climate change not as a scientist or an environmental lawyer,

and I wasn't really impressed by the images of polar bears

or melting glaciers.

It was because of the impact on people,

and the impact on their rights --

their rights to food and safe water, health, education and shelter.

And I say this with humility,

because I came late to the issue of climate change.

When I served

as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

from 1997 to 2002,

climate change wasn't at the front of my mind.

I don't remember making a single speech on climate change.

I knew that there was another part of the United Nations --

the UN Convention on Climate Change --

that was dealing with the issue of climate change.

It was later when I started to work in African countries

on issues of development and human rights.

And I kept hearing this pervasive sentence:

"Oh, but things are so much worse now, things are so much worse."

And then I explored what was behind that;

it was about changes in the climate --

climate shocks, changes in the weather.

I met Constance Okollet,

who had formed a women's group in Eastern Uganda,

and she told me that when she was growing up,

she had a very normal life in her village and they didn't go hungry,

they knew that the seasons would come as they were predicted to come,

they knew when to sow and they knew when to harvest,

and so they had enough food.

But, in recent years,

at the time of this conversation,

they had nothing but long periods of drought,

and then flash flooding,

and then more drought.

The school had been destroyed,

livelihoods had been destroyed,

their harvest had been destroyed.

She forms this women's group to try to keep her community together.

And this was a reality that really struck me,

because of course, Constance Okollet wasn't responsible

for the greenhouse gas emissions that were causing this problem.

Indeed, I was very struck about the situation in Malawi

in January of this year.

There was an unprecedented flooding in the country,

it covered about a third of the country,

over 300 people were killed,

and hundreds of thousands lost their livelihoods.

And the average person in Malawi

emits about 80 kg of CO2 a year.

The average US citizen emits about 17.5 metric tons.

So those who are suffering disproportionately

don't drive cars, don't have electricity, don't consume very significantly,

and yet they are feeling more and more

the impacts of the changes in the climate,

the changes that are preventing them from knowing how to grow food properly,

and knowing how to look after their future.

I think it was really the importance of the injustice

that really struck me very forcibly.

And I know that we're not able to address some of that injustice

because we're not on course for a safe world.

Governments around the world agreed at the conference in Copenhagen,

and have repeated it at every conference on climate,

that we have to stay below two degrees Celsius

of warming above pre-Industrial standards.

But we're on course for about four degrees.

So we face an existential threat to the future of our planet.

And that made me realize

that climate change is the greatest threat to human rights in the 21st century.

And that brought me then to climate justice.

Climate justice responds to the moral argument --

both sides of the moral argument --

to address climate change.

First of all,

to be on the side of those who are suffering most and are most effected.

And secondly,

to make sure that they're not left behind again, when we start to move

and start to address climate change with climate action,

as we are doing.

In our very unequal world today,

it's very striking how many people are left behind.

In our world of 7.2 billion people, about 3 billion are left behind.

1.3 billion don't have access to electricity,

and they light their homes with kerosene and candles,

both of which are dangerous.

And in fact they spend a lot of their tiny income on that form of lighting.

2.6 billion people cook on open fires --

on coal, wood and animal dung.

And this causes about 4 million deaths a year

from indoor smoke inhalation,

and of course, most of those who die are women.

So we have a very unequal world,

and we need to change from "business as usual."

And we shouldn't underestimate the scale and the transformative nature

of the change which will be needed,

because we have to go to zero carbon emissions by about 2050,

if we're going to stay below two degrees Celsius of warming.

And that means we have to leave about two-thirds of the known resources

of fossil fuels in the ground.

It's a very big change,

and it means that obviously,

industrialized countries must cut their emissions,

must become much more energy-efficient,

and must move as quickly as possible to renewable energy.

For developing countries and emerging economies,

the problem and the challenge is to grow without emissions,

because they must develop; they have very poor populations.

So they must develop without emissions, and that is a different kind of problem.

Indeed, no country in the world has actually grown without emissions.

All the countries have developed with fossil fuels,

and then may be moving to renewable energy.

So it is a very big challenge,

and it requires the total support of the international community,

with the necessary finance and technology, and systems and support,

because no country can make itself safe from the dangers of climate change.

This is an issue that requires complete human solidarity.

Human solidarity, if you like, based on self-interest --

because we are all in this together,

and we have to work together

to ensure that we reach zero carbon by 2050.

The good news is that change is happening,

and it's happening very fast.

Here in California,

there's a very ambitious emissions target to cut emissions.

In Hawaii, they're passing legislation

to have 100 percent renewable energy by 2045.

And governments are very ambitious around the world.

In Costa Rica, they have committed to being carbon-neutral by 2021.

In Ethiopia, the commitment is to be carbon-neutral by 2027.

Apple have pledged that their factories in China will use renewable energy.

And there is a race on at the moment

to convert electricity from tidal and wave power,

in order that we can leave the coal in the ground.

And that change is both welcome and is happening very rapidly.

But it's still not enough,

and the political will is still not enough.

Let me come back to President Tong and his people in Kiribati.

They actually could be able to live on their island and have a solution,

but it would take a lot of political will.

President Tong told me about his ambitious idea

to either build up or even float the little islands where his people live.

This, of course, is beyond the resources of Kiribati itself.

It would require great solidarity and support from other countries,

and it would require the kind of imaginative idea

that we bring together when we want to have a space station in the air.

But wouldn't it be wonderful to have this engineering wonder

and to allow a people to remain in their sovereign territory,

and be part of the community of nations?

That is the kind of idea that we should be thinking about.

Yes, the challenges of the transformation we need are big,

but they can be solved.

We are actually, as a people,

very capable of coming together to solve problems.

I was very conscious of this as I took part this year

in commemoration of the 70th anniversary

of the end of the Second World War in 1945.

1945 was an extraordinary year.

It was a year when the world faced

what must have seemed almost insoluble problems --

the devastation of the world wars, particularly the Second World War;

the fragile peace that had been brought about;

the need for a whole economic regeneration.

But the leaders of that time didn't flinch from this.

They had the capacity, they had a sense of being driven by

never again must the world have this kind of problem.

And they had to build structures for peace and security.

And what did we get? What did they achieve?

The Charter of the United Nations,

the Bretton Woods institutions, as they're called, The World Bank,

and the International Monetary Fund.

A Marshall Plan for Europe, a devastated Europe,

to reconstruct it.

And indeed a few years later,

the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

2015 is a year that is similar in its importance

to 1945, with similar challenges and similar potential.

There will be two big summits this year:

the first one, in September in New York,

is the summit for the sustainable development goals.

And then the summit in Paris in December, to give us a climate agreement.

The sustainable development goals are intended to help countries

to live sustainably, in tune with Mother Earth,

not to take out of Mother Earth and destroy ecosystems,

but rather, to live in harmony with Mother Earth,

by living under sustainable development.

And the sustainable development goals

will come into operation for all countries

on January 1, 2016.

The climate agreement --

a binding climate agreement --

is needed because of the scientific evidence

that we're on a trajectory for about a four-degree world

and we have to change course to stay below two degrees.

So we need to take steps that will be monitored and reviewed,

so that we can keep increasing the ambition of how we cut emissions,

and how we move more rapidly to renewable energy,

so that we have a safe world.

The reality is that this issue is much too important

to be left to politicians and to the United Nations.

(Laughter)

It's an issue for all of us,

and it's an issue where we need more and more momentum.

Indeed, the face of the environmentalist has changed,

because of the justice dimension.

It's now an issue for faith-based organizations,

under very good leadership from Pope Francis,

and indeed, the Church of England,

which is divesting from fossil fuels.

It's an issue for the business community,

and the good news is

that the business community is changing very rapidly --

except for the fossil fuel industries --

(Laughter)

Even they are beginning to slightly change their language --

but only slightly.

But business is not only moving rapidly to the benefits of renewable energy,

but is urging politicians to give them more signals,

so that they can move even more rapidly.

It's an issue for the trade union movement.

It's an issue for the women's movement.

It's an issue for young people.

I was very struck when I learned that Jibreel Khazan,

one of the Greensboro Four who had taken part in the Woolworth sit-ins,

said quite recently that

climate change is the lunch counter moment for young people.

So, lunch counter moment for young people of the 21st century --

the sort of real human rights issue of the 21st century,

because he said it is the greatest challenge

to humanity and justice in our world.

I recall very much the Climate March last September,

and that was a huge momentum,

not just in New York, but all around the world.

and we have to build on that.

I was marching with some of The Elders family,

and I saw a placard a little bit away from me,

but we were wedged so closely together --

because after all, there were 400,000 people out in the streets of New York --

so I couldn't quite get to that placard,

I would have just liked to have been able to step behind it,

because it said, "Angry Grannies!"

(Laughter)

That's what I felt.

And I have five grandchildren now,

I feel very happy as an Irish grandmother to have five grandchildren,

and I think about their world,

and what it will be like when they will share that world

with about 9 billion other people in 2050.

We know that inevitably it will be a climate-constrained world,

because of the emissions we've already put up there,

but it could be a world that is much more equal and much fairer,

and much better for health, and better for jobs

and better for energy security,

than the world we have now,

if we have switched sufficiently and early enough to renewable energy,

and no one is left behind.

No one is left behind.

And just as we've been looking back this year --

in 2015 to 1945, looking back 70 years --

I would like to think that they will look back,

that world will look back 35 years from 2050,

35 years to 2015,

and that they will say,

"Weren't they good to do what they did in 2015?

We really appreciate that they took the decisions that made a difference,

and that put the world on the right pathway,

and we benefit now from that pathway,"

that they will feel that somehow we took our responsibilities,

we did what was done in 1945 in similar terms,

we didn't miss the opportunity,

we lived up to our responsibilities.

That's what this year is about.

And somehow for me,

it's captured in words of somebody that I admired very much.

She was a mentor of mine, she was a friend,

she died much too young,

she was an extraordinary personality,

a great champion of the environment:

Wangari Maathai.

Wangari said once,

"In the course of history,

there comes a time when humanity is called upon

to shift to a new level of consciousness,

to reach a higher moral ground."

And that's what we have to do.

We have to reach a new level of consciousness,

a higher moral ground.

And we have to do it this year in those two big summits.

And that won't happen unless we have the momentum

from people around the world who say:

"We want action now,

we want to change course,

we want a safe world,

a safe world for future generations,

a safe world for our children and our grandchildren,

and we're all in this together."

Thank you.

(Applause)