Introduction to Part III

There is a huge gap between those whose rights are violated due to a human-induced environmental crisis and the indisputable impunity of those who contribute the most to the collapse of the balance of nature. The latter’s commitment to engage in harmful conducts is no longer in dispute: a small number of private and public entities are still deliberately acting against the general interest, neglecting the disruption of human lives and the annihilation of the plant. Marie Toussaint and Claude Henry introduce the authors of the chapters in this part of the book on “litigants†, those who are all committed to strengthening the climate crisis victims’ voice. To fight for their rights, they are championing a climate-oriented interpretation of existing human rights frameworks, notably through the right to life, the right to intergenerational equity and the rights of indigenous peoples.