At the end of April 2025, Amnesty International published its 2024–25 annual report on the global human rights situation. Among the topics addressed are economic and climate injustice, which represent some of the most pressing challenges of our time, with profound implications for human rights, global equity, and the sustainability of our planet. The report outlines a series of interconnected issues that require urgent and coordinated action at the international level.

Climate change is accelerating at an alarming rate, with the world on course for 3°C of warming by the end of the century, far exceeding the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement. Already in 2024, the effects of climate change have been devastating, with an increase in extreme weather events such as hurricanes, cyclones, wildfires and floods. These disasters have resulted in a growing number of deaths, forced displacements and famines, violating the fundamental human rights of millions of people.

The floods in Bangladesh and India in 2024 displaced hundreds of thousands of people, while in Africa, climate change forced even more individuals to abandon their homes, exacerbating existing displacement crises. These events demonstrate that the human costs of climate change are already unacceptably high, even at current levels of warming.

Despite the urgency of the situation, many governments continue to pursue economic policies that harm both the environment and human rights. Investments in sectors such as the fossil fuel industry, often poorly regulated, encourage companies to maximise profits at the expense of human rights and environmental protection. Governments have continued to provide substantial subsidies to the fossil fuel industry, despite its central role in causing widespread human rights violations globally.
Moreover, some proposed solutions to address the climate crisis, such as carbon capture and storage and hydrogen production, risk leading to further human rights violations in their implementation. Large-scale development projects, such as those in the tourism sector, have in some cases resulted in forced evictions, significant pollution and other human rights abuses.

A particularly concerning aspect is that the countries most responsible for carbon emissions are also those contributing the least to climate finance for adaptation in low-income countries. These countries are often on the front lines, facing the most severe impacts of climate change. Climate adaptation — including the implementation of early warning systems, resilient health systems and emergency response infrastructure — is crucial to minimising loss of life and other human rights harms. However, much of the funding for adaptation is provided through loans, which further indebts low-income countries and perpetuates a cycle of economic dependence.

In response to this situation, activists and communities have intensified their demands for climate justice. Some have turned to domestic and international judicial mechanisms to compel governments to commit to a faster phase-out of fossil fuels. However, the implementation of resulting judicial decisions has often been inadequate.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decisions in April 2024 provided important clarifications regarding states' obligations in the context of the climate crisis. However, the example of Switzerland, where the parliament voted to reject a ruling that established a failure to meet emission reduction obligations, demonstrates the political resistance to such decisions.

The climate crisis is unfolding against an already complex global economic backdrop, characterised by conflicts, high inflation, debt repayments and widespread fiscal abuses. In 2024, debt repayments in low-income countries reached their highest levels in 30 years, drastically reducing budgets for crucial sectors such as health and education.

Inequitable tax systems, coupled with the inability to control corporate and individual tax evasion and avoidance, have further deprived governments of the resources needed to realise a wide range of rights. As a result, extreme poverty and inequalities have continued to worsen. The combination of poverty, conflict and climate disasters has led to severe food insecurity, with famines declared in countries such as Gaza, Haiti and Sudan in 2024.

In response to these challenges, protests and acts of civil disobedience have taken place worldwide, often facing increasing criminalisation. A positive development was the adoption of terms of reference for a future United Nations Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation. This convention could lay the groundwork for a more equitable global tax system, which is essential to ensure that governments have the necessary resources to invest in health, education and social security rights.

To effectively address economic and climate injustice, urgent and coordinated action at the global level is required. Governments should:

• Implement a rapid, fair and properly financed phase-out of fossil fuels;
• Cease subsidies to the fossil fuel industry;
• Significantly increase funding for climate adaptation in low-income countries, preferably through grants rather than loans;
• Swiftly develop, adopt and implement the Convention on International Tax Cooperation;
• Take immediate action to prevent tax abuses and establish more equitable tax systems;
• Invest in robust, climate-resilient social protection, health and education systems;
• Respect and implement judicial decisions related to climate change and human rights;
• Promote a just transition to renewable energy, carefully considering potential impacts on human rights.

Only through concerted effort and strengthened international cooperation will it be possible to address the interconnected challenges of economic and climate injustice, thereby ensuring a sustainable, equitable and human rights-respecting future for all.