1. ESSENTIALITY OF HUMAN RIGHTS

As per United Nations Human Rights Commission, Human Rights are rights we have simply because we exist as human beings- they are not granted by any state. In an ideal world, no state should have any right or power to grant or snatch away basic human rights. Human rights are most fundamental because of their inherent qualities in the life of a human being. Most essential of all the right to life- is possessed by every human being regardless of caste, color, ethnicity, language, nationality, religion, sex, or any other status that anyone can think of. An orphan, a destitute person, or anyone should not be alienated from society because of their powerless position in society, rather it becomes the responsibility of society and the state to work cordially and help them meet their basic human needs.

2. CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS ADVERSE EFFECTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS

We as human beings, always look for a change in our lives but change from negative to positive. In the current world, we are witnessing amelioration in climate change, and that’s a type of change we don’t need in our lives. Human beings are the leading driver of climate change. Climate change poses an imminent threat to human rights but the irony is that climate change is itself caused by the negative activities of humans. The major shift in earth's temperature and weather patterns is causing unending destruction on the earth. This destruction is adversely affecting humans by posing a threat to their means of livelihood. The right to life includes the right to food, the right to shelter, the right to clean and safe drinking water, etc. There is not an exhaustive list that enlists the rights of human beings that comes under the purview of the Right to life. There could be an unending list because the earth is divided into continents, the continents are divided into countries, and the countries are divided into states, and there are different climatic conditions in different parts of the world. The adverse impact of climate change can be noticed in every part of the world. People are forced to get displaced from their livelihood because of changing weather patterns. Unusual incessant rainfall is hurting the most by destroying the crop patterns and eventually a farmer ends up having nothing to complete his livelihood. The severe impact of climate change on human rights has for long gone unnoticed because of existing priorities across the world.

3. ROLE OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE AND PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS

The earth needs development in every sector, but it need not be at the cost of our present and future generations. At a time, when resources are finite, the earth needs sustainability. Sustainability is all about development in the present without depleting natural resources for present and future generations. In 2015, all the United Nations member states adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It provides for the 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) which in turn can provide sustainability to the earth. The SDGs should not be portrayed as mere climate change laws because the essentiality of human rights should be of utmost importance. When it comes to basic human rights, there could not be anything more fatal than Poverty, Hunger, gender discrimination, inequalities, poor health and wellbeing, and inadequate clean water and sanitation. A child, when born in poverty without basic necessities, may not realize that his/her human rights are getting affected but the realization should be on the part of the State for not providing basic human necessities to the destitute people in the state. SDG 1 to SDG 6 aims to achieve certain goals like eliminating poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, and clean water and sanitation. These are some basic human rights which are crucial in personal and social development of a human being. These goals may prove to crucial in providing basic necessities but only when they are achieved at the earliest and fullest.

4. EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE LAWS AND REFORMS ARE NEEDED TO PROTECT BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS.

Some International protocols and agreements talk about climate change and provide certain guidelines to mitigate climate change. There are no specific climate change laws with human rights as main agenda in most of the countries that can fully achieve the goals but they do have their own laws in parts that aim to mitigate climate change in a restricted manner. Most of the world has failed to look beyond environmental and climate change laws owning to their failed attempt to identify the link between climate change and human rights. The essentiality of human rights in the life of a human being cannot be negated by anything at any cost. There is an urgent need to reform the existing environmental and climate change laws and also enact new legislation that can link climate change and human rights and provide guidelines to protect human rights.