In July 2022, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution "Recognizes the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a human right;
2. Notes that the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is related to other rights and existing international law;
3. Affirms that the promotion of the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment requires the full implementation of the multilateral environmental agreements under the principles of international environmental law;
4. Calls upon States, international organizations, business enterprises and other relevant stakeholders to adopt policies, to enhance international cooperation, strengthen capacity-building and continue to share good practices in order to scale up efforts to ensure a clean, healthy and sustainable environment for all. https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3983329/files/A_RES_76_300-EN.pdf?ln=en 97th plenary meeting 28 July 2022
Recently, the UN Human Rights Council has encouraged states to adopt policies <https://climatechangenews.com/2023/04/04/moves-to-crystallise-right-to-a-healthy-environment-spark-tension-at-un/> and legal frameworks to give force to this right. But this move is facing resistance from USA, China, Japan and Russia, and India too!
ESGs Webinar https://esgindia.org/new/esg-publications/right-to-clean-environment/ video https://youtu.be/UGz_A-WdXoQ steps taken by different countries to respond to air pollution, the kind of provisions required to tackle air pollution in India. Will India will join the community of nations in acknowledging this human right as fundamental to its action plans tackling air pollution. The panel for the session (L to R): Bhargavi S.Rao (Moderator, ESG), Leo F. Saldanha (ESG), Dr. Sarath Guttikunda (Founder/Director, Urban Emissions), Chee Yoke Ling (Executive Director, Third World Network), David Boyd (UN Special Rapporteur on Human R ights and the Environment), and Randeep D (Commissioner, Health & Family Welfare)