Climate change is a reality that is already affecting every corner of the globe, the UN Human Rights Council said on Monday.

"Climate change is a reality that now affects every region of the world. The human implications of currently projected levels of global heating are catastrophic," High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet told the 42nd regular session of the council in Geneva.

Bachelet said the climate emergency is already driving a sharp increase in global hunger.

She added the UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) expects climate change to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths a year between 2030 and 2050 from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea and heat stress alone.

"The world has never seen a threat to human rights of this scope. This is not a situation where any country, any institution, any policymaker can stand on the sidelines," Bachelet said.

She added that climate change undermines rights, development, and peace.

In her speech, Bachelet also drew attention to a number of problematic human rights situations in various countries, including Sudan, Myanmar, Syria, Ukraine, Palestine, and Venezuela.