Climate and Land

Immense challenges lie at the intersection of climate change, land use, and human rights. The climate crisis threatens to dramatically alter people’s relationship with the land on which they rely, including through climate-induced displacement and agricultural land shifts, and land-intensive climate solutions, such as solar and wind energy. People with weak land rights, or whose human rights are intrinsically related to land access, will confront even higher risks of rights violations in a world seized by climate impacts and adaptations. Holistic responses to these risks will be critical to supporting a just transition to a low-carbon future. We focus on:

• Integrating climate considerations into agricultural investment decision-making and governance. We are scoping opportunities to integrate climate services into approval processes for agricultural investments in Senegal. By exploring the integration of climate considerations into investment decision-making, CCSI aims to support governments in aligning investment processes with climate objectives. The joint scoping study is being conducted by CCSI and the African Center of International Law Practice (ACILP). It falls under the umbrella of Adapting Agriculture to Climate Today, for Tomorrow (ACToday), the first Columbia World Project led by the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI).
• Land use and rights in the context of climate change. We seek to articulate the case for land rights as a critical component of climate mitigation with different climate-focused stakeholders, through evidence-based analysis and awareness-raising strategies. For example, in 2019 we convened a conference on “Climate Crisis, Global Land Use, and Human Rights.” We are also researching the implications of and interplay between home state laws intended to mitigate deforestation in supply chains, and the policy and regulatory frameworks of producer countries. 

Renewables as land investments. Poor community engagement leads to mismanaged expectations, conflict, and increased operational risks that can cause renewable energy operators to default on their obligations or incur other types of legal liability. CCSI is researching i) the legal risks for renewable energy companies tied to poor community engagement in order to illustrate the need for such companies to meaningfully engage with local communities; and ii) opportunities to incentivize improved community engagement and due diligence by asset owners and developers.