Climate change is a hot topic. We are being encouraged to measure our ecological footprint in CO2-units and to reflect on the consequences of long-distance and cheap flights. Climate change is threatening nature, as well as our luxurious way of living. Still, the consequences of a changing climate will be recognizable in the poorest countries first. Farmers will lose their farmland and their access to water. The demand for biofuels as a replacement for oil and gas will lead to a worldwide buy up of forest, on which many people rely to make a living. This will cause migration and will increase the pressure on urban areas. Human rights, like the right for food, drinking water and shelter will thus be compromised. That is a double injustice, for the ones who contributed least to the pollution and waste will be struck first.

In this lecture series renowned scientists and international speakers will talk about climate change and the philosophy of global justice. Can human rights, as recorded in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, protect us against the effects of climate change? Do they still apply to present and future generations? Or does the 21st century ask for new international and local institutions? We need a new way of thinking about justice and responsibility, by which we can counter the scarcity of resources and the division of wealth. Maybe the urgency of climate change can be the lever that is needed to reach worldwide agreement.