A human rights approach to energy: realizing the rights of billions within ecological limits

Energy is central to both the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the ParisAgreement and a prerequisite to the realization of human rights for billions of people.Yet the nexus between human rights, climate change and energy remains underdevelopedin international law and practice. This article considers the potential and limitationsof a ‘human rights approach’ to energy to accelerate progress towards universalaccess to modern energy services while addressing climate change and inequalities. Itconsiders three distinct elements of a human rights approach to energy: a discursiveelement; a mainstreaming element; and a litigation element. In exploring the potentialcontributions of each of these elements to a just energy transition, it demonstrateshow a human rights approach to energy can help to address some of the shortcomingsof the Sustainable Development Goals related to energy and climate.