On 6 September, together with Friends of the Earth, ESF, Human Rights Watch, Natural Justice, ICJ, Oxfam, and CESCR, we organised the workshop "The right to (sustainable) energy: new frontiers for economic, social, and environmental rights?."

The event convened representatives of civil society organisations, experts, academics, international organisations, and activists to assess the current development of human rights standards and explore the potential for bringing the issue of energy to the centre of human rights discussions.

The event was a space to identify opportunities to push the frontiers of the human rights framework to address the energy-human rights nexus, including the risks and opportunities of advancing the international recognition of a right to (sustainable) energy and the main normative elements that this new right could entail.

It was an opportunity for all participants to pose questions and reimagine new frontiers for developing economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights.

The program of workshop covered presentations and dynamic discussions between a small group of 30 participants on the following key issues:

1. Energy as a human rights issue;

2. Comparative experience in the recognition of new human rights at the international level;

3. Potential formulations and normative content of a new right to energy;

4. Exploring opportunities for collaboration.

It featured the presentation of the three experts who contributed to shaping and framing the debate with all the participants:

• Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh, Associate Professor of Sustainability Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Amsterdam;
• Sébastien Duyck, from CIEL; and,
• Marlies Hesselman, Assistant Professor of International Law.

The workshop helped identify opportunities to move this work forward and build momentum for collaboration and contribution to the development of new international human rights standards that can transform energy systems.

You may read the concept note of the event featuring the objectives and a short analysis of the human rights framework applicable to energy here: