Discourses of Fear on Climate Change in International Human Rights Law

Abstract Discourses of fear on climate change are pervasive. International human rights law frequently refers to climate change as one of the most serious threats to human rights, and this language of threat reveals a discourse of fear. Fearful representations of climate change are justified by scientific data and can be effective in drawing attention to the issue and incentivizing necessary action. However, psychologists and communications experts have demonstrated that fear can also lead to disengagement, ‘climate change fatigue’ and active opposition to climate change policies. By invoking a discourse of fear on climate change, human rights actors are not only reflecting accurate climate science but also engaging in emotional rhetoric. The discourse of fear that presents climate change itself as the main threat to human rights, moreover, contributes to framing climate change primarily as a physical and scientific problem and obscures other important dimensions of climate change. Those individuals engaging with international human rights law must acknowledge the rhetorical and emotive power of the language they speak and engage more seriously with the literature on discourses of fear and their effects on a broad general audience. Only then can we truly work towards effective action on climate change, supported by international law.