Global Climate Summit

Advancing the conversation around climate change and human rights

In June 2025 the University of Oxford is hosting a global summit on climate change and human rights in partnership with UN Human Rights, the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, the International Universities Climate Alliance, and co-host universities across the world.

A 24-hour global plenary

The cornerstone of the summit is a hybrid global event on World Environment Day, 5th of June 2025. We will bring together leading thinkers and practitioners at the intersection of climate change and human rights for a 24-hour global plenary, which will be broadcast live across time zones. Co-created and co-delivered by universities across the world, the plenary will follow the sun as we pass the baton between different regions.

Local activities and events

From the 4th to the 7th of June 2025, the University of Oxford will be hosting local activities themed around climate justice, as will many of our partner universities around the world. Look out for talks, exhibitions, concerts, and more.

Universities and organisations

There are many ways for universities to engage with the global summit. Please express your interest here:

Register interest as a university

 

We also welcome engagement from other organisations working in the fields of climate change, human rights, and climate justice, including NGOs, charities, and businesses:

Register interest as an organisation

Media

For media enquiries, contact Public Affairs Directorate. Download the press release here:

 

A global dialogue

“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,” Vice Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey.

Watch this space for updates on the summit or sign up to receive communications here.

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The 2025 summit's key objectives are:

  • Advancing human-rights solutions to the climate crises
  • Celebrating and elevating the voices of environmental human-rights defenders
  • Reinforcing and bringing together key elements of the global climate-justice movement while minimising carbon footprint
  • Empowering and inspiring people, especially students, as agents for climate justice now, and in future careers.

 

In 2022, the University of Colorado Boulder hosted the inaugural Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit. It focussed on three themes:

  • The impact of climate change and human rights
  • Human-rights obligations and responsibilities related to climate change
  • Developing climate policies and calls to action that are grounded in respect for human rights.

We are delighted that the University of Colorado Boulder will be one of the international co-hosts of the 2025 summit.

Keynote speeches and panels from the 2022 summit are available to watch online.

 

2022 Summit Panelists Elena Sánchez Nicolás, Ewi Stephanie Lamma, Julieta Martinez, Monica Neupane, Hilda Flavia Nakabuye. Photo courtesy of the University of Colorado Boulder.

 

 

Photo courtesy of University of Colorado, Boulder. Mary Robinson - Keynote Speaker at 2022 Right Here, Right Now Summit