Environmental Justice and Human Rights: Exploring the Intersection of Climate Change Impact on Vulnerable Communities

Abstract

Climate change has transcended its environmental character to become one of the most pressing global human rights challenges of the twenty-first century. This paper therefore aims to examine the intersection between environmental justice and international human rights law. Drawing on relevant normative frameworks of global coverage and some essential African regional instruments, it practically manifests the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as championed by both the United Nations and the African Union. Invoking the municipal laws of Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya, the study employs a doctrinal and comparative legal methodology to interrogate state obligations in the context of climate vulnerability. It further evaluates emerging climate jurisprudence and accountability mechanisms that seek to operationalise environmental justice through rights-based approaches. The paper contends that environmental justice provides a normative bridge linking climate governance to enforceable human rights protections by foregrounding equity, participation and intergenerational responsibility. It concludes that without embedding justice-oriented principles into climate policy and legal frameworks, existing mitigation and adaptation strategies risk perpetuating structural inequity. It recommends the adoption of rights-based approaches as imperative to safeguarding vulnerable communities and ensuring climate-resilient developments that are consistent with international human rights obligations.