News

The University of Oxford and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights will host the 2025 Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit , bringing together renowned experts and leaders, policymakers, technologists, academics, universities, celebrities, and more to advance climate justice through human rights solutions to the climate crisis.

Celebrities Billie Jean King, Barbra Streisand, Neil Young, Ziggy Marley, Carole King, Annie Lennox, Cyndi Lauper, Pierce Brosnan, Jack Black, Laura Pausini, and more unite with United Nations Human Rights and leading universities to support upcoming global climate justice summit and call world attention to the human rights implications of the climate crisis.

The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance has announced Green Day will headline the second Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert to be presented by United Nations Human Rights and The Recording Academy at The Fillmore in San Francisco on April 2. The ecologically driven concert aims to combat the human rights crisis resulting from climate change. Proceeds from Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concerts will go to United Nations Human Rights climate justice initiatives and a dedicated Right Here, Right Now climate fund at MusiCares to help musicians affected by climate change. Wesley Schultz, lead singer and co-founder of the two-time Grammy-nominated band the Lumineers headlined the event last year, with six-time Grammy-nominated artist Yola making an appearance as a special guest. "We are pleased to recognize Green Day and excited for the incredible band to help us launch the international Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert Series," said Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. "As world-renowned artists and activists, Green Day continues to leverage its major influence and platform to bring awareness to the impact of climate change on the people and the environment."  David Clark, founder and CEO of Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, added, "It's a privilege and honor to have Green Day headline the Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert in San Francisco. We selected the band, as Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tré Cool have been at the forefront promoting social justice initiatives for decades."

Photography 4 Humanity calls on photographers around the world to bring to life the power of human rights through their images. Highlighting the most compelling human rights imagery - illustrating courage, despair, hope, injustice, compassion in ways small and large, the photos serve to inspire people to get involved and take a stand for human rights.
Picture Climate Justice is a global initiative created by United Nations Human Rights supported Photography 4 Humanity and Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, to empower people around the world at a grassroots level to capture images of people and the planet being impacted by climate change - then instantly upload them to a platform where they will be on display for the world to see.

The 2023 Call for Code Global Challenge, an annual initiative that encourages developers to create projects that combat climate change with AI-powered technology, officially kicked off this week. The competition was announced Monday morning by IBM, along with Call for Code creator David Clark Cause , charitable partner United Nations Human Rights, and the Linux Foundation. This year, Call for Code challenges developers, students, and startups to build and contribute to solutions that help accelerate sustainability, with a focus on improving resource management, reducing pollution and protecting biodiversity. "Since its launch in 2018, Call for Code has become a global call to action for developers around the world to come together to think creatively about how they can use their skills to help solve some of the world’s most pressing problems," David Clark, Founder and CEO of Call for Code, said in a news release. T​he competition is changing its format for 2023. Instead of a single global challenge there will be multiple “Challenge Rounds” throughout the year. Teams in each round will compete for cash prizes from a total prize pool of up to $1.4 million. Teams can win multiple rounds, with prizes ranging from $3,000 to $10,000. One winner from each of the competition's three entry categories – developers, university students and startups – will be eligible for a grand prize of $50,000. The prize also includes open source support from the Linux Foundation. The first round runs from March 1 through April 7. Solutions should address at least one sustainability issue such as improving the ability to measure, analyze, or take decisive action on carbon emissions; addressing issues of water scarcity and quality; improving supply chain transparency and traceability. T​here is also a new program this year called Call For Code Startups .

This past weekend, experts and activists from around the world shared knowledge and stories about the devastating impacts of climate change on fundamental human rights, the obligations governments, corporations and individuals have to address the crisis, and solutions needed for a sustainable future.

The University of Colorado Boulder and the United Nations Human Rights cohosted the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit on Dec. 1-4, a conference highlighting the relationship between climate change and human rights. Panelists from all over the world spoke about the impacts of climate change and potential solutions.

Over thirty celebrities have partnered with a UN-backed campaign to urge leaders gathered at COP26 in Glasgow to accelerate the goals of the Paris climate accord. Celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio, Cher, Cyndi Lauper, Ellen DeGeneres and Pitbull have taken to their social media channels to alert their followers to the climate crisis. The campaign aims to reach the celebrity’s 620 million-strong social media following, and highlight climate change as a human rights issue. The Right Here, Right Now climate alliance is backed by United Nations Human Rights and works with policymakers, NGOs and entertainers to promote climate advocacy. DiCaprio, the Oscar-winning actor and environmental advocate, was the first to post on his Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts about the campaign. “Homes, lands, health, and lives of those most affected by climate change are at risk,” he wrote in the caption.