The Human Rights Unit has published a discussion paper on human rights and climate change.4 It notes that in the debates on climate change, three key paradigms have emerged with regard to people and the environment. The first has as its focus the damage being done to the planet, which includes desertification and the increase in emissions of greenhouse gases. People are regarded as the perpetrators while the planet is the victim. The second paradigm acknowledges that people harm the planet, but also that people themselves are harmed by their results of their activities. It focuses on the impact of climate change on people and on the sustainability of their livelihoods. In the third paradigm the debate has started to focus on rights and responsibilities, particularly the impact of climate change on the adherence to and protection of human rights.