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The Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations: Strengthening the humanitarian response to the climate and environment crises

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 September 2023

Catherine-Lune Grayson ,
Amir Khouzam ,
Nishanie Jayamaha  and
Stephanie Julmy
Catherine-Lune Grayson*
Affiliation:
Head of Policy Team, International Committee of the Red Cross, Geneva, Switzerland
Amir Khouzam*
Affiliation:
Policy Adviser, International Committee of the Red Cross, Geneva, Switzerland
Nishanie Jayamaha
Affiliation:
Learning and Climate Change Programme Coordinator, International Council of Voluntary Agencies, Geneva, Switzerland
Stephanie Julmy
Affiliation:
Global Climate and Resilience Lead, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Geneva, Switzerland
*
*Corresponding author email: cgrayson@icrc.org
**Corresponding author email: akhouzam@icrc.org
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Abstract

Since its launch in 2021, the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations (the Charter) has been signed by hundreds of humanitarian actors across the world, including local and national organizations, United Nations agencies, National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and large international NGOs. The Charter's development grew out of a sector-wide recognition that humanitarians have a role to play in addressing the crises of climate change and environmental degradation, and that fulfilling this role would entail changing how they work. Two years into its existence, the Charter has helped build momentum towards this change and has provided a useful measurement tool for how much remains to be done.

This paper traces the origins, inspiration and process of the Charter from the perspective of the present authors, who co-led the Charter's development. The article highlights some of the challenges that we faced and how these were addressed. In taking stock of progress towards the Charter's goals, the article flags areas where further effort is needed to adequately strengthen the humanitarian response to the climate and environmental crises.

Keywords

climate changeClimate Charterclimate riskenvironmental degradationhumanitarian actionclimate adaptation
Type
Setting the Scene
Information
International Review of the Red Cross , Volume 105 , Issue 924: Protecting the Environment in Armed Conflict , December 2023 , pp. 1227 - 1237
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the ICRC

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Footnotes

The advice, opinions and statements contained in this article are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the ICRC. The ICRC does not necessarily represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any advice, opinion, statement or other information provided in this article.

References

1 Hans-Otto Pörtner et al. (eds), “Summary for Policy Makers”, in Hans-Otto Pörtner et al. (eds), Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability: Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge and New York, 2022.

2 Clarke, Paul Knox, Climate Change and Humanitarian Action, ADAPT Initiative, Oxford, 2021Google Scholar.

3 Rosenow-Williams, Kirsten, “Climate Change and the International Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement”, Moving the Social – Journal of Social History and the History of Social Movements, Vol. 54, 2015Google Scholar. See also: Red Cross and Red Crescent Climate Centre, “Where We Work”, available at: www.climatecentre.org/where-we-work/ (all internet references were accessed in August 2023).

4 InterAction, The NGO Climate Compact; Commitments towards Environmental Action and Sustainability 2020–2022, Washington, DC, 2020; Réseau Environnement Humanitaire, Statement of Commitment on Climate by Humanitarian Organisations, 2020; Frontières, Médecins Sans, The Environmental Pact, Geneva, 2020Google Scholar.

5 See, for instance, International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), ICVA 2030 Strategy: A Collaborative Future for Effective Humanitarian Action, Geneva, 2022; International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Strategy 2030: Platform for Change: Global Reach, Local Action, Geneva, 2018; International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), ICRC Strategy 2019–2024, Geneva, 2019.

6 For examples of existing guidance, see Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations, “Guidance”, 2021, available at: www.climate-charter.org/guidance/.

7 Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations, 2021, available at: www.climate-charter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/ClimateEnvironmentCharter-EN.pdf.

8 IFRC and ICRC, The Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Disaster Relief, 1994. List of signatories available at: www.ifrc.org/code-conduct-signatories?webform_submission_value=&webform_submission_value_1=&page=0.

9 33rd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, “Strengthening the Resilience of Communities to Climate Change and Environmental Degradation through Climate-Smart Humanitarian Action”, Pledge Number OP330098, 11 December 2019.

10 ICRC and IFRC, Consultations on the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations: Summary of Feedback and Revisions: Consolidated Feedback on the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations Gathered during Consultations Conducted between December 2020 and March 2021, Geneva, 2021.

11 Humanitarian Aid Donors’ Declaration on Climate and Environment, French Presidency, Council of the European Union and European Commission, 2022.

12 For submitted targets, see Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations, “Targets”, 2021, available at: www.climate-charter.org/targets/.

13 Marion Reinosa and Paul Knox Clarke, Implementing the Climate Charter: Analysis and Mapping of Expertise Available to Signatories on the Implementation of the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations, INSPIRE+ Consortium, 2023.