The Challenge of Human Rights in an Age of Climate Change – Video Link
On October 31, 2025, the HRUG regular seminar on “The Challenge of Human Rights in an Age of Climate Change” was successfully held. The seminar was lectured by Tunahan Ali Usta (a PhD candidate in Political Science at the Middle East Technical University, Turkey), and chaired by Joe Finnerty (a Policy Analyst at the School of Applied Social Studies, University College Cork, Ireland). Professor Peter Herrmann (a researcher of CSU Human Rights Center), Professor Mehmet Okyayuz of Political Science at the Middle East Technical University, Associate Professor Li Juan (a researcher of CSU Human Rights Center), and Dr. Ali Al-Assam (Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Industry, Member of Friends of Socialist China) participated in this seminar and engaged in the discussion. The seminar focused on climate change and human rights challenges, analyzed the significant impacts of climate change on the environment, migration, and human rights, and called for advancing climate justice through strengthening international cooperation and improving laws.
Tunahan Ali Usta systematically analyzed the multiple impacts of climate change on oceans, weather, ecosystems, and human life based on the interconnection between the global ecology and human society. He emphasized the inequality in the distribution of climate responsibilities among countries and that climate change poses a serious threat to human rights. He pointed out that the challenges brought by climate change go far beyond environmental degradation itself, but are intertwined in multiple significant issues such as ecological imbalance, resource scarcity, public health, international migration, and the game of responsibilities between countries. Predictions indicate that 1 billion people will lose their homes due to climate change by 2050, but no extensive and effective response measures have been taken so far. At the same time, the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees doesn’t include climate refugees, leaving a legal gap. He stressed that climate change has a direct negative impact on the realization of human rights such as the right to a decent life, the right to health, the rights to food and water, and the right to self-determination. In the face of the multiple challenges brought by climate change, the current state-centered legal system and human rights protection mechanisms are inadequate. Tunahan Ali Usta proposed that climate change must be regarded as a human rights issue, international cooperation should be strengthened, and stricter policies should be formulated. He also explored addressing various challenges by revising international laws to include climate refugees and promoting industrialized countries to assume more responsibilities.
During the discussion session, scholars conducted in-depth exchanges around several core issues. Professor Mehmet Okyayuz mentioned the flaws in the current refugee standards, and noted that European countries such as Germany have instead tightened the access conditions for refugee asylum. In response, Tunahan Ali Usta stated that although the United Nations and international non-governmental organizations have made certain progress in defining refugees, the legalization of climate refugees still has a long way to go due to obstruction from developed countries. Professor Peter Herrmann discussed the cross-synergy between climate policies and migration policies, arguing that developed countries’ refusal to assume historical emission responsibilities is a key obstacle. Joe Finnerty presented the need to analyze climate issues from three dimensions: root causes, consequences, and policies. Joe insisted that transnational corporations and fossil fuel enterprises should be the focus of policy intervention. Regarding the issue that artificial intelligence (AI) has led some countries to abandon their climate commitments, Tunahan Ali Usta expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of AI in solving climate problems. Instead, he believed that AI imposes a huge burden on energy consumption. Associate Professor Li Juan focused on the background of China-Africa green economic cooperation and asked about the responsibility boundaries and climate action space of African countries under the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities”. Tunahan Ali Usta responded that besides protecting the natural environment and their own citizens, African countries should assume responsibilities commensurate with their own capabilities, while industrialized countries are required to take on greater responsibilities. In addition, based on Engels’ economic perspective of “the production and reproduction of daily life”, scholars also discussed specific measures such as optimizing public transportation and increasing green spaces. They generally believed that the improvement of global environmental awareness, close cooperation between non-state organizations, and global technological progress provide broad and optimistic prospects for addressing climate challenges.
气候变化时代的人权挑战
2025年10月31日，HRUG定期研讨会之“气候变化时代的人权挑战”主题会议顺利召开。本次会议由土耳其中东科技大学政治学博士生Tunahan Ali Usta主讲，爱尔兰国立科克大学应用社会研究学院政策分析家Joe Finnerty主持。中南大学人权研究中心研究员Peter Herrmann教授、土耳其中东科技大学政治学Mehmet Okyayuz教授、中南大学人权研究中心黎娟副教授、英国非政府组织“社会主义中国之友”、伊拉克非政府组织穆斯塔雷克之友Ali Al-Assam博士等参与本次研讨会并进行讨论。会议聚焦气候变化与人权挑战，分析气候变化对环境、移民及人权的重大影响，呼吁通过加强国际合作、完善法律推进气候正义。
Tunahan Ali Usta从全球生态与人类社会互联的视角出发，系统地分析了气候变化对海洋、天气、生态系统和人类生活的多重影响。他强调各国在气候责任分配上存在着不平等，气候变化对人权构成严重威胁。他指出，气候变化带来的挑战远不止环境恶化本身，而是交织在生态失衡、资源短缺、公共健康、国际移民及国家间责任博弈等多重维度之中。有预测显示，到2050年将有10亿人因气候变化失去家园，但目前尚未采取广泛且切实有效的应对措施。同时，1951年《关于难民地位的公约》未将气候难民纳入其中，存在法律空白。他强调，气候变化对实现体面生活权、健康权、食物与水权以及自决权等人权造成直接的负面影响。针对气候带来的多重挑战，现行以国家为中心的法律体系和人权保障机制显得力不从心。Tunahan Ali Usta提出必须将气候变化视为人权议题，加强国际合作并制定更严格政策，探讨通过修订国际法律以纳入气候难民、推动工业国承担更多责任等方式应对各项挑战。
会议讨论环节中，学者们围绕多个核心议题展开深入交流。Mehmet Okyayuz 教授提及现行难民标准存在缺陷，德国等欧洲国家反而收紧难民庇护准入条件。Tunahan Ali Usta回应称联合国及国际非政府组织虽在难民定义方面取得一定进展，但受发达国家阻挠，气候难民合法化仍任重道远。Peter Herrmann教授探讨了气候政策与移民政策的交叉协同问题，指出发达国家拒绝承担历史排放责任是关键障碍。Joe Finnerty强调需从根源、后果、政策三个维度分析气候问题，跨国公司、化石燃料企业应成为政策干预重点。针对有学者提到的人工智能影响部分国家撕毁气候承诺的问题，Tunahan Ali Usta表示他对人工智能解决气候问题的效果持怀疑态度，并指出人工智能对能源消耗造成巨大负担。黎娟副教授聚焦中非绿色经济合作的背景，询问非洲国家在“共同但有区别的责任”原则下的责任边界与气候行动空间。Tunahan Ali Usta回应表示，非洲国家在保护自然环境和本国公民的同时，应承担与其自身能力相匹配的责任，而工业国家则需承担更重大的责任。此外，学者们还基于恩格斯“日常生活生产与再生产”的经济视角，探讨了优化公共交通、增加绿地等具体措施。他们普遍认为，全球环保意识的提升、非国家行为体之间的紧密合作以及全球技术进步，为应对气候挑战提供了广阔的乐观前景。
(Transcription: Yaxing Bai, Dan Liu; Translation: Yaxing, Bai)