CoE must put the right to healthy environment in law

Over 400 civil society organizations are calling on the Council of Europe to establish a binding legal framework for the right to a healthy environment. While 42 of the 46 Member States already protect this right via national laws or the Aarhus Convention, the European Convention on Human Rights lacks an explicit autonomous right. The authors argue that an additional protocol would provide legal clarity for the European Court of Human Rights, protect environmental defenders, and address the 'triple planetary crisis' of pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss.

• Over 400 civil society organizations, social movements, and Indigenous peoples organizations are calling for the Council of Europe to recognize the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment via an additional protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights.
• Although 42 of the 46 Council of Europe Member States protect the right to a healthy environment through national legislation, constitutions, or the Aarhus Convention, the European Convention on Human Rights does not yet enshrine it as an explicit autonomous right.
• The authors argue that an additional protocol would improve the enforcement of environmental laws, increase public participation and access to justice, and provide better protection for environmental human rights defenders.
• The statement notes that a legally binding instrument would provide greater legal clarity and coherence for the European Court of Human Rights as environmental challenges increasingly appear in its cases, citing the KlimaSeniorinnen decision as significant caselaw.

APA

Harrison, A., Jacobsen, A., Pagliarusco, E., Pollera, C., & Rall, K. (2024). CoE must put the right to healthy environment in law. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/coe-must-put-the-right-to-healthy-environment-in-law/

Chicago

Harrison, Ann, Amy Jacobsen, Emma Pagliarusco, Camilla Pollera, and Katharina Rall. CoE must put the right to healthy environment in law. Center for International Environmental Law, 2024. https://www.ciel.org/coe-must-put-the-right-to-healthy-environment-in-law/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Harrison |first1=Ann |last2=Jacobsen |first2=Amy |last3=Pagliarusco |first3=Emma |last4=Pollera |first4=Camilla |last5=Rall |first5=Katharina |title=CoE must put the right to healthy environment in law |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=6 May 2024 |url=https://www.ciel.org/coe-must-put-the-right-to-healthy-environment-in-law/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{harrison2024coe, author = {Harrison, Ann and Jacobsen, Amy and Pagliarusco, Emma and Pollera, Camilla and Rall, Katharina}, title = {{CoE must put the right to healthy environment in law}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2024}, month = may, url = {https://www.ciel.org/coe-must-put-the-right-to-healthy-environment-in-law/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }