The Relevance of the Right to the City to Face Climate Change,
Global Warming and Environmental Justice
Álvaro Puertas
[Consultant of Global Platform Right to the City]
This paper proposes the Right to the City, understood as ‘the right of all inhabitants, present and future, permanent and temporary, to inhabit, use, occupy, produce, govern and enjoy just, inclusive, safe and sustainable cities, villages and human settlements, defined as commons essential to a full and decent life’, as one of the reference frameworks to guide equitable climate action and to jointly create practical agendas to mitigate climate change, adapt to its impacts, and guarantee the restitution of rights lost in the past while preserving those rights for future generations. The paper also reflects on ambitious but failed former agendas for preserving the environment, guaranteeing human rights and development. It also explains how the human rights-based Right to the City principles are aligned with sustainability values and permeate the current Paris Agreement, Agenda 2030 and the New Urban Agenda. The document also describes how to create enabling environments for local action, the role of local governments and a selection of good practices and initiatives that successfully incorporate Right to the City principles into climate action. The paper ends with general recommendations and several annexes including a glossary from several sources.
The Relevance of the Right to the City to Face Climate Change,
Global Warming and Environmental Justice
Álvaro Puertas
[Consultant of Global Platform Right to the City]
This paper proposes the Right to the City, understood as ‘the right of all inhabitants, present and future, permanent and temporary, to inhabit, use, occupy, produce, govern and enjoy just, inclusive, safe and sustainable cities, villages and human settlements, defined as commons essential to a full and decent life’, as one of the reference frameworks to guide equitable climate action and to jointly create practical agendas to mitigate climate change, adapt to its impacts, and guarantee the restitution of rights lost in the past while preserving those rights for future generations. The paper also reflects on ambitious but failed former agendas for preserving the environment, guaranteeing human rights and development. It also explains how the human rights-based Right to the City principles are aligned with sustainability values and permeate the current Paris Agreement, Agenda 2030 and the New Urban Agenda. The document also describes how to create enabling environments for local action, the role of local governments and a selection of good practices and initiatives that successfully incorporate Right to the City principles into climate action. The paper ends with general recommendations and several annexes including a glossary from several sources.