UN Expert Urges Rights-Based Transition for Water and Energy Systems

The Special Rapporteur criticised the dominance of market-driven energy and water systems, arguing that they often prioritise profits over people and the planet.

A leading United Nations expert has called for urgent reform of global water and energy systems to prevent their commodification and ensure they are grounded in human rights principles rather than profit-driven models. The appeal came during the presentation of the report "Water and Energy Nexus" to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva by Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation.

Unsustainable Energy Practices Threaten Rights and Ecosystems

Arrojo-Agudo warned that the world's dominant energy systems—built around coal, hydrocarbons, hydropower, and nuclear power—are driving unsustainable extractive practices with profound human and environmental consequences.

"Coal, hydrocarbons, hydropower and nuclear energy, along with large-scale toxic discharges, overexploitation of aquatic ecosystems, and construction of large dams, have devastating consequences on human rights and the environment," he told the Council.

The report highlights how these systems fuel pollution, biodiversity loss, and degradation of water resources, worsening the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity collapse.

Market Models Put Profit Before People

The Special Rapporteur criticised the dominance of market-driven energy and water systems, arguing that they often prioritise profits over people and the planet.

"Market-driven systems prioritise profit over people and the planet," he said, pointing to energy-intensive industries such as mega data centres, which consume vast amounts of electricity and water while disrupting climate transition strategies.

He stressed that governments must place human rights above market interests, demand transparency from corporations, and ensure accountability for practices that undermine both sustainability and human dignity.

The Case for a Double Transition

Arrojo-Agudo called for a dual transition: one in energy and another in water. He argued that while a rapid transition away from fossil fuels is critical to halting climate change, it must not come at the cost of further water degradation or perpetuate historical injustices in energy access.

"While transition in the energy sector is imperative to stop climate change and related human rights harms, we need to curb our demand of water and energy, while ensuring that new energy systems do not reproduce the injustices of the past and do not pollute nor degrade aquatic ecosystems," he said.

Because most climate-related risks manifest through the water cycle—including floods, droughts, and declining freshwater availability—he insisted that water must play a central role in adaptation and resilience strategies.

Human Rights at the Core of Energy Policy

The expert also urged states to rethink energy not merely as a commodity, but as a precondition for fulfilling fundamental rights such as health, education, and housing. He argued that the international community should seriously consider the explicit recognition of access to clean and sustainable energy as a human right under international law.

"A just future demands a double transition in water and energy, promoting participatory governance models that empower communities in decision-making on these vital issues," Arrojo-Agudo said.

Call to Action for States

The Special Rapporteur concluded by urging governments to commit fully to a fair, participatory, rights-based transition, ensuring that communities most affected by water scarcity, pollution, and energy poverty are included in decision-making processes.

He emphasised that without rethinking how societies value and manage water and energy, the world risks worsening inequality and undermining global commitments to sustainable development and human rights.