Human Rights
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Mining, Land Grabs, and More: When Decarbonization Conflicts With Human Rights
Transitioning off fossil fuels isn’t all sunshine and roses. Experts from around Columbia Climate School weigh in on how governments and developers can move forward responsibly.
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Advancements in Climate Rights in Courts Around the World
Despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in West Virginia. v. EPA, rulings in other countries demonstrate that courts worldwide remain an important forum for potentially advancing climate rights.
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Just Climate Change Action: The Importance and Challenges of Centering Indigenous Wisdom and Perspectives
Indigenous communities are on the frontlines of the climate crisis, leading the way for innovative actions rooted in first-hand experiences of climate disasters and shifts, and knowledge transferred across generations.
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Renewable Energy Poses a Serious Threat to Human Rights — But It Doesn’t Have To
A conversation on the critical need for embedding human rights, especially those of indigenous communities, within the renewable energy sector, and the hurdles of pursuing environmental justice without compromising human rights.
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Mining Pollution Limits Access to Clean Water in Papua New Guinea
A new report documents the social, environmental, economic, and health impacts of gold mining in Porgera, Papua New Guinea.
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UN Resolution Would Protect Land and Water Rights of Rural People
This proposed declaration includes a number of rights, and specifically mentions that water resources in mountain ecosystems should be protected against pollution from mining activities.
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We Aren’t Doing Enough to Protect Prisoners During Natural Disasters
When disaster strikes, prisoners’ rights are often forgotten about. A new paper recommends changes that can help protect them.
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Is There a Human Right to Land?
For people around the world, land is a source of food, shelter, and livelihoods. Given their importance, land rights are surely human rights—right?
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Uncovering Impacts of Gold Mining in Papua New Guinea
From late December 2015 through January, a team of Earth Institute scientists and human rights lawyers from Columbia University worked in the highlands of Papua New Guinea to deliver the results of an independent study of water quality and human rights to the indigenous communities living near an industrial gold mine.
AGU25, the premier Earth and space science conference, takes place December 15-19, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This year’s theme—Where Science Connects Us—puts in focus how science depends on connection, from the lab to the field to the ballot box. Once again, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Columbia Climate School scientists, experts, students, and educators are playing an active role, sharing our research and helping shape the future of our planet. #AGU25 Learn More
