Twenty-four organizations highlighted the critical link between fossil fuels and climate harm in a joint submission to the UN on Friday, emphasizing the obligations and responsibilities of states and corporations under the polluter-pays principle and the right to remedy for those affected by the climate crisis.

The organizations, which included Amnesty International, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), Oxfam, and World’s Youth for Climate Justice (WYCJ), noted recent data regarding the effect of carbon dioxide emissions on the environment. They underscored that carbon dioxide emissions from the global energy system’s fossil fuel use increased by 4.6 percent between 2015 and 2019, contributing to approximately two-thirds of annual global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. These findings reinforced decades of scientific research and assessments that the core of the fossil fuel economy—namely, the extraction, production, and consumption of fossil fuels for energy—is the leading source of carbon dioxide emissions. Such emissions are then driving the rapid rise in global temperatures, which is resulting in the escalating loss and damage to lives and livelihoods around the world.

The organizations further highlighted the linkages between militarization and systemic human rights violations that are exacerbating the climate crisis. They said the fossil fuels industry is a major catalyst for conflict, with nations and corporations resorting to war and destabilization to secure access to the industry. Such events have resulted in environmental devastation, human displacement, and prolonged suffering in countries already vulnerable to climate change.

The submission underscored the stark disparity in global spending priorities, as Global North countries allocate 30 times more funding to militarization than to climate finance. Despite having the financial capacity to support climate action, the organizations said these countries instead prioritize actions that accelerate environmental destruction and reinforce neocolonial dominance—failing to fulfill their obligations to address their historical climate debt to the Global South.

The submission also emphasized the right to remedy for victims of human rights abuses or violations resulting from the impacts of the climate crisis, in line with principles adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2005, as well as the polluter-pays principle. In the context of the climate crisis, the principle asserts that those most responsible for climate change—the largest cumulative emitters—must be held accountable for the damage caused by their actions or inaction. Under this principle, states should ensure that “major emitters contribute to reparations for human rights violations and environmental damage related to climate change.”

Rights groups around the world have increasingly urged for climate protection in recent years. On Monday, over 360 organizations and activists urged the EU to reject the proposed “Omnibus directive,” claiming it would significantly weaken corporate sustainability laws.

Last week, the US also withdrew from the UN’s climate damage fund, marking one of several attempts by President Donald Trump to limit the country’s participation in climate change prevention and international law. The move sparked criticism for climate activists, who asserted that the US must be held accountable for its significant contributions to global climate damage.