Several high-level UN personalities have in recent days warned of the possible horrific consequences of climate change. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called climate change “the defining issue of our time”, while UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has added that “the world has never seen a threat to human rights of this scope”.

The Global Centre for R2P warns that the challenges of climate change “pose a direct threat to some vulnerable societies, creating an environment conducive to the commission of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.”