THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Wednesday backed the passage of House Bill No. 9609, or The Climate Accountability Act for the establishment of a legal framework to ensure that remedies for climate-related human rights violations would be made accessible for every Filipino.
The CHR said the filing of HB No. 9609 reinforces the Philippines’ commitment to climate justice.
“This initiative paves the way for the establishment of mechanisms for reparations and hold corporations accountable for climate responsibilities. Climate change threatens numerous human rights, such as one’s right to life, access to water and sanitation, food, health, and housing, among others. The CHR believes that HB No. 9609 signals a crucial step toward both climate justice and the advancement of human rights,” the CHR cited.
The CHR cited the overall goal of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights that emphasizes the obligation of governments to take appropriate steps which prevent, investigate, punish and redress such human rights abuses through appropriate avenues. Business enterprises, in return, are expected to avoid the infringement of these rights and address the adverse impacts which they may have contributed to.
“As such, governments and corporations both hold the obligation to respect, protect, and fulfil human rights in the context of climate systems, even within the context of international human rights standards,” its statement read.
“We commend the filing of HB No. 9609 with its alignment to CHR’s recommendations from the NICC report, which encourages businesses to engage in practices that respect, protect, and uphold human rights in addressing climate change, while emphasising the State duty to prevent harmful impacts to the environment through effective legislation,” it noted.
