UCT highlights rights and climate justice globally

The University of Cape Town (UCT), through the African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI), participated in the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit on 5 June. This global 24-hour event brought together institutions from across the world to address the intersection of climate change and human rights.

UCT’s two-hour session, “Championing human rights-based research and teaching towards climate justice in Africa”, offered a regional lens on the disproportionate climate burdens facing the continent and the role of higher education institutions in contributing to equitable climate action.

“It’s essential for human survival in the climate crisis to make the connection between human rights and climate change explicit. It is important to understand human vulnerabilities and protect livelihoods accordingly. This form of event creates a visible dynamic globally that leads to important next steps,” said Britta Rennkamp, senior researcher at ACDI.

Hosted by the United Nations Human Rights (UNHR) and the University of Oxford, the event was convened by the International Universities Climate Alliance (IUCA).

Framing climate justice from an African perspective

The session opened with a framing discussion on the relevance of human rights in African climate governance, after an insightful opening from UCT Vice-Chancellor (VC) Professor Mosa Moshabela. Presenters highlighted the global inequities in emissions and impacts, noting that while Africa contributes relatively little to global greenhouse gas emissions, the continent faces outsized climate risks. South Africa, as a moderate-to-high emitter, was identified as a unique outlier in the region.

Speakers emphasised that climate burdens are not evenly distributed, and the causes of the crisis are not equally shared. They discussed how international mechanisms, such as the Paris Agreement and UNFCCC, have incorporated human rights language. However, gaps remain in how these rights are implemented and recognised at regional and local levels. African courts are increasingly engaging with climate justice arguments, but progress is uneven.

“Without human rights-based research and teaching on the causes and impacts of climate change in Africa, there is a danger that climate solutions will not incorporate human rights-based solutions that are available in Africa. These solutions are often distinct from those available in other parts of the world, since the ways in which our legal systems protect and promote human rights are distinct,” explained Associate Professor Melanie Murcott from UCT’s Institute of Marine and Environmental Law.

The session underscored the opportunity and responsibility for African universities to drive research and teaching that foreground justice, equity, and context-specific solutions on the continent.

Researching human rights-based climate action

There were two panels, with the first one focusing on how human rights-based research can support more just and equitable climate action. Amber Abrams (Future Water Institute), Ruth Magreta (Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Malawi), Benyam Dawit Mezmur (Professor of Law, University of the Western Cape) and Nadia Sitas (SouthSouthNorth) shared their work, ranging from water and biodiversity governance to children’s rights, gender justice, and community-led adaptation.

Discussions highlighted the dangers of siloed approaches and overly technocratic solutions. There was a strong call for more integrated, interdisciplinary methods that centre lived experience and local knowledge.

“University funding for research groups is essential to help support continued research in this field. It is clear that as researchers in Africa, we are already thinking about equity, justice and human rights; we must work collaboratively to maximise our funding,” stated Abrams.

The panel also explored the risks of failing to embed gender justice within broader climate work. While women are often portrayed as vulnerable, they are also innovators, and central to community-based solutions. Invisible labour – including caregiving roles – often shapes women's participation in climate responses, and must be recognised in research design.

Teaching for transformation

The second panel explored how human rights perspectives are being integrated into climate change curricula in African universities. Lesley Green (Earth Politics and Director of Environmental Humanities), Melandri Steenkamp (Global Environmental Law Centre, University of the Western Cape) and Melanie Murcott reflected on the philosophical, ethical and practical dimensions of teaching climate justice.

The discussion included critiques of technocentric and economic approaches to climate education, noting that these often reduce human rights to compliance checklists. There was a call for teaching models that foster critical reflection on the root causes of climate and social injustice, and that move beyond Western epistemologies.

“This type of event promotes access to knowledge about harms arising from the causes and impacts of climate change.”

Panellists noted that while new technologies are essential, the mindsets and institutional logics that underpin them often remain unchanged. Educators must equip students to challenge outdated paradigms and think relationally, recognising that human well-being is inseparable from the health of the planet.

A global call to action

Partnering with the global summit allowed UCT and ACDI to bring African perspectives to a worldwide conversation, highlighting the urgent need to address climate change as a human rights issue.

“This type of event promotes access to knowledge about harms arising from the causes and impacts of climate change. Insights from Africa position people who are particularly vulnerable as agents of change, rather than passive victims,” said Murcott.

“These insights also highlight how people in Africa experience climate impacts disproportionately, despite being among those least responsible for the activities that are driving global warming. Knowledge justice (epistemic justice) can help tackle the underlying causes of climate change, which include a lack of recognition of the intrinsic value, experiences and knowledge of people in the Global South, and exclusionary decision-making that does not take this value, knowledge and experience into account.”

Looking ahead, UCT aims to deepen its partnerships across the continent and beyond, continue integrating justice-oriented approaches into its curricula, and support a new generation of scholars and practitioners committed to equitable climate action.