UNEP Compendium On Human Rights and the Environment

The UNEP Compendium documents the intersection of human rights and environmental law through a curated selection of global and regional instruments and judicial decisions. It analyzes how substantive rights (such as the rights to life, health, and property) and procedural rights (access to information, public participation, and access to justice) are used to address environmental degradation. The document highlights the 'greening' of human rights law, where tribunals increasingly interpret existing rights to encompass environmental protections, particularly for indigenous peoples and marginalized groups. It also details state obligations regarding industrial pollution and natural resource extraction, emphasizing duties of prevention, regulation, and the requirement for free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) for indigenous communities.

• The document identifies a 'greening of human rights law,' where international tribunals increasingly incorporate environmental threats into the interpretation of protected human rights, such as the rights to life, culture, property, and private life.
• Procedural rights—specifically access to information, public participation in decision-making, and access to justice—serve as critical tools for protecting the natural environment and are found in both human rights and environmental regimes.
• States have a positive duty to adopt protective measures, including effective regulation and the disclosure of environmental information, when they become aware of environmental risks that threaten protected rights.
• For indigenous and tribal peoples, states owe a duty to consult regarding development and investment projects on their lands and, in certain instances, must obtain free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC).
• The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights in the Ogoni case (SERAC v. Nigeria) was the first international tribunal to interpret and give effect to the right to live in a healthy environment, addressing both substantive and procedural dimensions.
• The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has used Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life) to address environmental pollution, ruling that severe pollution can prevent individuals from enjoying their homes even without seriously endangering their health.
• The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has recognized that conducting an environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a requirement under general international law when there is a risk of significant adverse transboundary impact on a shared resource.
• The World Bank Inspection Panel has affirmed that human rights are central to achieving development goals and that the Bank must ensure financed projects are consistent with a borrower's international human rights obligations, such as ILO Convention No. 169.
• The Aarhus Convention is highlighted as a significant regional instrument that explicitly recognizes the right to a healthy environment and guarantees access to information, public participation, and justice in environmental matters.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). UNEP Compendium On Human Rights and the Environment. https://www.ciel.org/Publications/UNEP_Compendium_HRE_Mar2014.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. UNEP Compendium On Human Rights and the Environment. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/Publications/UNEP_Compendium_HRE_Mar2014.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=UNEP Compendium On Human Rights and the Environment |url=https://www.ciel.org/Publications/UNEP_Compendium_HRE_Mar2014.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndunep, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{UNEP Compendium On Human Rights and the Environment}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/Publications/UNEP_Compendium_HRE_Mar2014.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }