The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit will be held in Oxford from 4-7 June 2025, in conjunction with participating universities around the world being convened by the International Universities Climate Alliance.
The announcement was made this week by Professor Irene Tracey, Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford, as she hosted Elisa Morgera, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Climate Change, Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, and representatives from UN Human Rights.
Left to right: Roberta Wilkinson, Oxford Climate Research Network; Professor Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford; Elisa Morgera, UN Special Rapporteur for Climate Change and Human Rights; Ekaterina Aristova, Bonavero Institute of Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Oxford
Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit hosted by the University of Oxford and UN Human Rights aims to set a new benchmark in the global fight for climate justice with a forum designed to address the following objectives:
- Advance human-rights solutions to the climate crisis
- Celebrate and elevate the voices of environmental human-rights defenders
- Reinforce and bring together key elements of the global climate-justice movement while minimizing carbon footprint
- Empower and inspire people, especially students, as agents for climate justice now, and in future careers
The University of Oxford, Academic Partner of Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, will coordinate with universities around the world hosting climate-related programs over four days. Set against the backdrop of Oxford’s colleges, this summit will host a global dialogue on 5 June 2025 – UN World Environment Day – with a 24-hour global plenary broadcast live across every time zone.
Vice-Chancellor Irene Tracey welcomes delegations from UN Human Rights and the Right Here Right Now Global Climate Alliance to Merton College.
Announcing the event, Professor Irene Tracey Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford said:
‘With our well-established and world-leading expertise in climate-related research and teaching, the University of Oxford is proud to be the Academic Partner for the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to host this pivotal summit with UN Human Rights, bringing together leaders in human rights and climate research from around the world, across a wide range of disciplines with the common goal of finding solutions to one of the most pressing issues of our times, climate change.’
Astrid van Genderen Stort, UN Human Rights, Chief External Engagement and Partnerships said:
‘As the global partner of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, UN Human Rights is grateful to the University of Oxford, universities worldwide, and the International Universities Climate Alliance, for their commitment to work with us to advance human rights solutions to prevent, minimize and remedy the human suffering caused by the climate crisis.’
The main event of the summit, a 24-hour global plenary, coordinated by International Universities Climate Alliance, will be co-hosted by the University of Oxford, University of Cape Town, University of Colorado Boulder, Monash University, University of Nairobi, University of São Paulo, UNSW Sydney and more, and will include live and virtual lectures, keynote speeches, and panel discussions. Academic institutions around the world will transform into hubs of climate consciousness, hosting ‘watch parties’ and local co-host activities, uniting their communities in this historic exchange of ideas.
David Clark, Founder and CEO of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance said:
‘Our Academic Partner, the University of Oxford, has responded to the call, leveraging their unique power to engage experts in crafting solutions to the human rights challenges posed by the climate crisis. We also extend our gratitude to the International Universities Climate Alliance for their vital role in uniting universities around the world to help drive the global summit and plenary.’
The Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit, has already received support from a celebrity coalition including Billie Jean King, Barbra Streisand, Carole King, Annie Lennox, Neil Young, Ziggy Marley, Pierce Brosnan, Jack Black, Laura Pausini, Rachel Platt, Kyra Sedgwick, Margaret Cho and more.
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