The Environmental Rights Initiative brings environmental protection nearer to the people by assisting state and non-state actors to Promote, Protect and Respect Environmental Rights.
The Environmental Rights Initiative represents the next phase of UN Environment’s work on human rights and the environment. It builds on the outcomes of its past projects and as well as key UN Environment Assembly and Human Rights Council resolutions.
Through the Environmental Rights Initiative we:
Work with governments to strengthen institutional capacities to develop and implement policy and legal frameworks that protect environmental rights effectively and inclusively;
Engage with businesses to help them to better understand what their environmental rights obligations are, and to provide guidance on how to move from a compliance culture to championing environmental rights;
Support civil society organisations and vulnerable populations in their efforts to access information on their environmental rights and to shine a spotlight on environmental rights violations;
Collaborate with media on the training of journalists on issues related to environmental rights and environmental defenders.
We achieve the above Rights-based Approach through the following work areas:
- Promote access to information on environmental rights
- Help governments fulfill environmental rights
- Assist business to move beyond a compliance culture
- Give a bigger voice to environmental defenders
- Provide legal and technical support
Learn more:
Environmental Rights Initiative (Our Partners, Factsheet, Concept Note, Partnership Note)
UN Environment's Defenders Policy
