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“Young people and island nations are being asked to pay for decisions they did not make.”
— Prof. Geoffrey Lipman, SUNx Malta

Climate change is no longer only an environmental emergency. It is increasingly being recognised as a direct violation of human rights, according to senior United Nations officials and leading scientists, who warn that the world is failing to act fast enough to protect lives, livelihoods, and entire nations.

Speaking before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk posed a stark question to governments:

“Are we taking the steps needed to protect people from climate chaos, safeguard their futures and manage natural resources in ways that respect human rights and the environment?”

His answer was unequivocal: we are not doing nearly enough.

That message is echoed by Professor Joyeeta Gupta, co-chair of the Earth Commission and a UN high-level representative for science, technology, and innovation for the SDGs. She says climate impacts must be reframed not just as environmental damage, but as systemic human rights violations.

Who Suffers First—and Most

Professor Gupta noted that the original 1992 UN Climate Convention failed to quantify human harm. Even the Paris Agreement of 2015, which set warming limits of “well below” 2°C and later recognised 1.5°C as safer, was shaped by power imbalances. For small island States, she says, 2°C was never survivable. Rising seas, saltwater intrusion, and intensifying storms threaten to erase entire nations.

In Nature, Gupta argues that 1°C of warming—the level already crossed in 2017—is where climate impacts begin to violate the human rights of more than 100 million people. She warns 1.5°C may be breached by 2030, with irreversible losses in glaciers, ecosystems, and lives.

Climate Justice and Responsibility

Climate justice and development are inseparable. Every basic right—water, food, shelter, mobility, and energy—depends on climate stability. According to Gupta, reducing emissions isn’t enough; wealthy societies must cut emissions quickly to create “carbon space” for poorer populations to meet basic rights. Failing to do so, she says, “turns inequality into injustice.”

Climate Change, Human Rights—and What Travel and Tourism Must Do

The global travel and tourism industry sits at the intersection of climate change and human rights. It is highly vulnerable to climate disruption and, at the same time, contributes significantly to emissions, resource demand, and socio-economic pressures.

Tourism depends on stable weather, functioning ecosystems, and safe communities. When coral reefs deteriorate, glaciers melt, coastlines erode, or heatwaves make destinations uninhabitable, tourism revenues and local livelihoods collapse. For many small island States and developing economies, tourism isn’t a luxury—it’s foundational to food security, education, healthcare, and social dignity.

Climate Friendly Travel (CFT) — Practical Action in Tourism

Climate Friendly Travel (CFT), developed under the SUNx Malta programme, is designed to help tourism destinations and businesses align with Paris 1.5°C pathways while supporting human rights, resilience, and local livelihoods.

Professor Geoffrey Lipman, President of SUNx Malta and a former UN World Tourism Organization Assistant Secretary-General, says the link between climate action and human rights can no longer be ignored by the travel sector.

“Climate Friendly Travel is about protecting people, not just places,” Professor Lipman said.
“If tourism fails to align with a 1.5-degree future, it will deepen inequality, accelerate displacement, and undermine the very communities it depends on. Climate action in tourism is no longer optional—it is a responsibility.”

He stressed that tourism must move from voluntary pledges to measurable, transparent action, particularly in vulnerable destinations where climate impacts are already threatening livelihoods, food security, and social stability.

“Tourism succeeds only when destinations are resilient and communities are secure,” Lipman added. “Climate Friendly Travel gives governments, hotels, and operators a practical way to cut emissions, build resilience, and keep human dignity at the center of development.”

Professor Geoffrey Lipman said the greatest cost of inaction will be borne by those with the least power to influence today’s decisions—young people and small island communities.

“Climate change is fundamentally an intergenerational injustice,” Lipman said.
“Young people and island nations are being asked to pay for decisions they did not make. Climate Friendly Travel is about giving them a future—by cutting emissions now, building resilience locally, and ensuring tourism supports survival, not sacrifice.”

He added that islands, which contribute least to global emissions, are already among the most exposed to rising seas, extreme weather, and economic disruption.

“For islands, climate stability is not an abstract goal—it is existential,” Lipman said.
“If tourism does not become climate-positive and resilience-focused, it will fail the very destinations and future generations it claims to serve.”

 

GCAP UNFCCC – Cooperative initiative tracking

Cooperative Climate Initiatives (CCIs) are voluntary efforts undertaken jointly by multiple stakeholders (including non-State and/or governmental actors) working towards achieving a clearly defined climate-related goal shared by the stakeholders within the CCI.

Real Examples Making a Difference

Saint Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association (SLHTA)
In 2025, the SLHTA signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with SUNx to help member hotels, resorts, and tour operators align with CFT principles—measuring emissions, reducing waste, building low-carbon operations, and embedding resilience in local communities. This aligns Saint Lucia’s tourism sector with the UN 2030/2050 climate roadmap and connects it with a growing global registry of responsible tourism businesses.

Hotel Resilient Partnership
Climate Friendly Travel partners with services like Hotel Resilient—an SDG17 CFT partner providing climate risk and resilience audits tailored to the hospitality sector. This helps hotels assess current climate impacts, identify weaknesses, and build adaptation measures such as renewable energy integration, disaster planning, water conservation, and carbon reduction strategies. By providing scientific risk analysis and support, these tools help businesses protect livelihoods, workers, and local communities while reducing emissions.

Training and Education for Future Leaders
The first cohorts of Climate Friendly Travel Diploma graduates—trained through partnerships between SUNx Malta and educational institutions—are becoming climate champions in their communities, helping small and medium tourism enterprises build low-carbon, climate-resilient practices that protect both rights and revenues. (Facebook)