Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit: A Historic Global Gathering for Climate Justice

The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit (June 2-8, 2025) stands as the largest and most ambitious event of its kind—uniting universities, youth leaders, Indigenous Peoples, human rights defenders, and artists across six continents to confront the climate crisis through the lens of human rights.

Co-hosted by United Nations Human Rights and the University of Oxford, and joined by a distinguished coalition of global academic institutions, the Summit forged an unprecedented alliance across borders, disciplines, and generations. Over the course of one extraordinary week, the Summit elevated the voices of those most impacted, spotlighted urgent solutions, and placed justice at the very heart of global climate action.

“This Summit makes clear: climate change is not just an environmental crisis, it is a human rights emergency,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. “Justice must be at the heart of climate action—and that justice begins with the voices of those most affected.”

“The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit stands as a testament to what is possible when humanity unites across borders, disciplines, and institutions. I am profoundly grateful to our global partner UN Human Rights, to our global academic partner the University of Oxford, to IUCA, and to each of our extraordinary co-host universities around the world. Together, we are affirming that the climate crisis is not only a planetary emergency—it is a profound test of human rights, dignity, and global solidarity.”

— David Clark, Founder & CEO, Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance

Co-Host Universities: A Global Alliance for Climate Justice

University of the South Pacific – Suva, Fiji

Opening the Plenary, USP centered youth leadership from Pacific Island nations already facing existential threats from rising seas. Through powerful performances and intergenerational dialogue, the session set a profound moral tone for the week.

Monash University – Melbourne, Australia

Monash led a powerful exploration of Indigenous-led adaptation, blending film, dialogue, and cultural performance to underscore the deep intersection of environmental destruction, cultural survival, and human rights.

University New South Wales – Sydney, Australia

In a bold session on just transitions, UNSW brought together voices from the Global South to confront fossil fuel expansion and call for equity, accountability, and urgent systemic reform rooted in human rights.

University of Nairobi – Nairobi, Kenya

The University of Nairobi presented a dynamic dialogue on climate finance, adaptation, and regional justice, linking African solutions to global systems, with leadership from the African Development Bank and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.

University of Cape Town – Cape Town, South Africa

UCT offered a two-part program on embedding human rights within climate teaching and research, spotlighting post-colonial injustice and charting a path toward decolonizing global climate scholarship.

University of Oxford – Oxford, United Kingdom

Oxford hosted panels on law, justice, and accountability, exposing corporate supply chain abuses within the green transition and exploring the intersection of climate change, human rights, and conflict.

University of Colorado Boulder – Boulder, Colorado, USA

CU Boulder focused on water insecurity, pollution, and climate-induced migration, culminating in a keynote by Inuit leader Sheila Watt-Cloutier, who shared Arctic perspectives on lived climate disruption.

Universidade de São Paulo – São Paulo, Brazil

Looking ahead to COP30, USP gathered ministers, diplomats, Indigenous leaders, and frontline activists to call for ethical climate finance, Amazon protection, Indigenous land rights, and inclusive governance grounded in human rights.

University of the West Indies – Caribbean Islands

Drawing on the voices of Caribbean youth, UWI led a compelling dialogue on postcolonial climate reparations, migration, mental health, and the need for equitable climate action. The panel was supported by the UN-OHCHR Caribbean Regional Office.

Himalayan University Consortium (HUC) – Kathmandu, Nepal

Bridging science, Indigenous knowledge, and policy, HUC convened a multi-national conversation on human rights-centered solutions to escalating climate threats across the Hindu Kush Himalayas.

KTH Royal Institute of Technology – Stockholm, Sweden

In a forward-looking dialogue, KTH challenged global leaders to reimagine the Sustainable Development Goals beyond 2030, integrating planetary boundaries and human dignity into a new framework for global ambition.

UN Human Rights & International Universities Climate Alliance (IUCA) – Geneva, Switzerland / Sydney, Australia

Through three expert panels, UN Human Rights and IUCA advanced critical conversations on gender equality, climate finance, and integrating human rights into national climate commitments, providing an ethical foundation for COP30 and beyond.

▶   View the Global Plenary Participants

Oxford Local Programming: A Weeklong Climate Justice Laboratory

Beyond the global plenary, the University of Oxford hosted 38 distinct events, transforming the Summit into a vibrant, week-long laboratory for climate justice innovation. Highlights included:

• Photography 4 Humanity Exhibition with Fotografiska and UN Human Rights
• The Tanner Lecture by Volker Türk, setting the ethical compass of the Summit
• A major launch event at the Sheldonian with Kate Raworth, Vanessa Nakate, and Lord Alok Sharma
• The Call for Code Climate Challenge, showcasing technology-driven climate justice solutions
• The Global Climate Concert, headlined by Ellie Goulding, blending artistry and activism
• The Bonavero Climate and Law Conference, laying legal foundations for climate accountability
• The Global Youth Climate Summit, empowering young leaders to drive the agenda
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▶   View the Local Oxford Programming