“The climate crisis is also a human rights crisis.” This central statement was the subject of the event series “Justice Speaks” on Monday, June 5, 2023. The interplay between the environment and human rights was discussed in the course of the event organized by the Federal Ministry of Justice in cooperation with the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Fundamental and Human Rights (LBI-GMR) and the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna.

After opening remarks by Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler and the Director of the Diplomatic Academy, Emil Brix, Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, gave the keynote speech.

He then discussed the recognition of the human right to a clean environment with Justice Minister Alma Zadić, lawyer Michaela Krömer and Michael Lysander Fremuth, Director of the LBI-GMR and Professor of Fundamental and Human Rights at the University of Vienna. What significance does this have for the further development of climate and environmental legislation?  How can climate protection, human rights and sustainable development be thought together even more?

Fremuth noted in his contribution that climate protection is recognised as a constitutional goal in many states and is also a human rights requirement. He further stressed that human rights must be at the centre of crisis management and at the same time underlined: “Fundamental and human rights can be brought before the courts for climate protection. But courts should not usurp the tasks of legislators and release them from their responsibility. Climate protection is a challenge for society as a whole, and we must all struggle to deal with it appropriately in democratic cooperation.”

You can watch the event retrospectively under the following link: https://www.youtube.com/live/qwArNN8CgEA?feature=share