The world is facing a triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity and ecosystem loss, and pollution. These crises undermine the enjoyment and protection of human rights and exacerbate environmental injustices, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable, marginalized and excluded people and communities. Today’s environmental crisis is intertwined with the crisis of inequality and is inextricably linked to the protection and fulfilment of human rights and sustainable development. Defenders of Nature seek to increase accountability and protection of ‘environmental rights’ for current and future generations; and promote the environmental rule of law. These objectives are pursued through a three-pronged approach:
- a) Building, enforcing and implementing enabling legal and policy frameworks
- b) Supporting people-centered, effective institutions as key agents of enforcement and implementation of these frameworks
- c) Legal empowerment and access to justice on environmental matters.
Environmental justice requires a rights-based, multidisciplinary approach, that combines the collective expertise and perspectives of human rights, rule of law, justice and security, environment, and other development practitioners.
What you need to know about environmental Justice;
Human-induced climate change is causing weather and climate extremes across the globe, putting pressure on already strained food systems, and causing mass displacement. Human action, and consequently human inaction, have led us to a triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. All this has had a severe impact on human rights which includes access to adequate food, water, education, housing, development, and life. It is widening social and gender inequality and leading to violence and marginalization. We believe that these structural inequalities and poverty must be addressed through environmental justice to prevent and eliminate environmental inequalities where the most vulnerable are the most affected
- 1) Environmental justice affirms the sacredness of Mother Earth, ecological unity and the interdependence of all species, and the right to be free from ecological destruction.
- 2) Environmental justice demands that public policy be based on mutual respect and justice for all peoples, free from any form of discrimination or bias.
- 3) Environmental justice mandates the right to ethical, balanced and responsible uses of land and renewable resources in the interest of a sustainable planet for humans and other living things.
- 4) Environmental justice calls for universal protection from nuclear testing, extraction, production, and disposal of toxic/hazardous wastes and poisons and nuclear testing that threaten the fundamental right to clean air, land, water, and food.
- 5) Environmental justice affirms the fundamental right to political, economic, cultural, and environmental self-determination of all peoples.
- 6) Environmental justice demands the cessation of the production of all toxins, hazardous wastes, and radioactive materials, and that all past and current producers be held strictly accountable to the people for detoxification and the containment at the point of production.
- 7) Environmental justice demands the right to participate as equal partners at every level of decision-making including needs assessment, planning, implementation, enforcement, and evaluation.
- 8) Environmental justice affirms the right of all workers to a safe and healthy work environment, without being forced to choose between an unsafe livelihood and unemployment. It also affirms the right of those who work at home to be free from environmental hazards.
- 9) Environmental justice protects the right of victims of environmental injustice to receive full compensation and reparations for damages as well as quality health care.
- 10) Environmental justice considers governmental acts of environmental injustice a violation of international law, the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, and the United Nations Convention on Genocide.
- 11) Environmental justice must recognize a special legal and natural relationship of Native Peoples to the government through treaties, agreements, compacts, and covenants affirming sovereignty and self-determination.
- 12) Environmental justice affirms the need for urban and rural ecological policies to clean up and rebuild our cities and rural areas in balance with nature, honoring the cultural integrity of all our communities, and providing fair access for all to the full range of resources.
- 13) Environmental justice calls for the strict enforcement of principles of informed consent, and a halt to the testing of experimental reproductive and medical procedures and vaccinations on people of color.
- 14) Environmental justice opposes the destructive operations of multinational corporations.
- 15) Environmental justice opposes military occupation, repression and exploitation of lands, peoples and cultures, and other life forms.
- 16) Environmental justice calls for the education of present and future generations which emphasizes social and environmental issues, based on our experience and an appreciation of our diverse cultural perspectives.
- 17) Environmental justice requires that we, as individuals, make personal and consumer choices to consume as little of Mother Earth’s resources and to produce as little waste as possible; and make the conscious decision to challenge and reprioritize our lifestyles to ensure the health of the natural world for present and future generations.
