In a “Recommendation on human rights and the protection of the environment” adopted by the Committee of Ministers on Tuesday 27 September, the Council of Europe calls on its 46 member states “to actively consider recognising, at national level, the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, as a human right”.
Measures to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, loss of biodiversity and pollution are “essential to the better enjoyment of human rights”, the Committee of Ministers stresses, calling on national governments to ensure compliance with a number of general principles of international environmental law, such as the no harm principle, the principle of prevention, the principle of precaution and the polluter pays principle; the need for intergenerational equity; the no discrimination principle; access without discrimination to information and justice in environmental matters.
Participation in environmental decision-making and environmental education is emphasised as well.
The Committee of Ministers also calls for the protection of the rights of those most vulnerable to environmental damage and stresses the importance of governments cooperating with sub-national entities, civil society, human rights defenders, economic actors, indigenous peoples, local communities, cities and regions.
Member States are also encouraged to require companies to act in accordance with their responsibilities regarding environmental human rights.
To recall that the Council of Europe has drawn up several Conventions for the protection of the environment. It has also published a “Manual on Human Rights and the Environment” clarifying the case law of the European Court of Human Rights and the decisions of the European Committee of Social Rights.
Link to the Recommendation: https://aeur.eu/f/39p
Link to the “Manual on Human Rights and the Environment”: https://aeur.eu/f/39q (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)