Campaign for the Right to a Healthy Environment at the Council of Europe

📢 Academics, join your voice to ours in the face of environmental crisis! Academics, scholars, researchers, and practitioners working on the intersection of human rights and the environment across disciplines have come together to call on the Member States of the Conseil de l'Europe to protect the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment through an additional protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights. This letter follows the call of over 450 civil society, social movements, and Indigenous Peoples organizations to explicitly recognize the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment in the European human rights framework. The legal protection of this vital right is long overdue! An additional protocol would strengthen the existing legal system and enhance the European Court of Human Rights' ability to protect a wide range of environmental rights. It would also send a strong signal to both national and international communities, affirming Europe's commitment to tackling the environmental crisis and providing its citizens with an enforceable right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. The letter drafted collectively with the support of the Global Network for the Study of Human Rights and the Environment (GNHRE) members, partners, and academic colleagues can be found here in English, French, German, and Spanish: https://lnkd.in/dW9Yc-ZB Please endorse the letter and share our call as widely as possible with your colleagues! Sign on here 👉  https://lnkd.in/d9_BMqW3 #healthyenvironment #environment #climate #humanrights #sustainabledevelopment

💥 Hot off the press: The Conseil de l'Europe remains the only regional human rights system that has not yet explicitly recognised the right to a #HealthyEnvironmentForAll. It's high time for Europe to recognise this vital #HumanRight. NEW in Euronews 👇

⏰ Time’s up ⏰ The Council of Europe Human Rights and the Rule of Law must put the right to a #HealthyEnvironmentForAll in law. On its 75th anniversary, 400+ civil society organizations urge the Council of Europe to keep up with the times by recognizing this vital right. Read our NEW blog by Amnesty International's Ann Harrison ; Greenpeace's Amy Jacobsen , Youth and Environment Europe (YEE)'s Emma Pagliarusco, Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)'s Camilla Pollera, Human Rights Watch's Katharina Rall: https://lnkd.in/eSKi43y3 Call your National Permanent Representative at the Conseil de l'Europe to ACT NOW and recognize the right to a #HealthyEnvironmentForAll: https://lnkd.in/eivPefhh Ask your organisation to join our Campaign: https://lnkd.in/eNrBufbN #HumanRights #HealthyEnvironmentForAll #EnvironmentalJustice

Why should the Conseil de l'Europe recognize a #HealthyEnvironmentForAll as an autonomous right with a dedicated protocol? There is an important reason: because we do better when we act together! The European Convention on Human Rights has been a shining example of how joint commitments to human rights can lead the way for a better future. Through a dedicated binding protocol to the Convention, European states would be bound to walk the environmental talk together. This legal instrument would also empower citizens in demanding that their governments be ambitious in their environmental policies and their implementation at a tipping point for the planet, as science has repeatedly stressed. Our campaign is joining forces to achieve that! Read our key demands 👇 https://lnkd.in/dhtNaynQ And if your organisation wants to join this call, endorse our letter to the Council 👇 https://lnkd.in/eK4TCE9N #healthyenvironment #healthyenvironmentforall #climate #environment #humanrights #climatejustice #fridaysforfuture #echr

Last week, the European Court of Human Rights delivered decisions on three #ClimateCases brought by 🇨🇭 Klimaseniorinnen, 🇵🇹 Youth for Climate Justice, and 🇫🇷 MEP Damien Careme. They have the potential to influence all environmental and climate matters, including the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. In the historic Klimaseniorinnen case, the Court found that Switzerland's climate inaction was in violation of the European Convention’s right to a fair trial and right to private and family life, home and correspondence. The Court has acknowledged that the right to a #HealthyEnvironmentForAll, while not autonomously recognised in the Convention, is part of the international legal context in which the Court assesses issues before it. The Court also acknowledged that the Parties to the Convention recognise a close link between the protection of the environment and #HumanRights. The Court's approach could be reinforced and clarified by recognising a standalone right to a healthy environment. A standalone recognition of the right would complement and reinforce existing state obligations to respect, protect and fulfil it. The response to the triple planetary crisis requires a unified approach so that: 👉 States walk the talk and fully protect people and the environment; 👉 Communities can access justice. Recognising the right to a healthy environment at the Conseil de l'Europe is a key step to achieve that! Ready to learn more? Read about the case for the right at the Council of Europe in our letter, already endorsed by 400+ civil society organisations ⬇ https://lnkd.in/eK4TCE9N

🚨Today is a turning point for #ClimateJustice! The European Court of Human Rights will deliver decisions on 3 climate cases which have the potential to influence all environmental and climate matters, including the right to a #HealthyEnvironmentForAll. ⚖️ For the first time ever, the European Court's decisions will address State responsibility under the European Convention on Human Rights to prevent climate-related harms. 🇨🇭In Klimaseniorinnen v. Switzerland, senior women (supported by Greenpeace Suisse) are arguing that the State's inadequate climate policies violate their human rights to life and health. They have also asserted violations of their rights to fair trial and effective remedy. 🇵🇹 In Duarte Agostinho et al. v. Portugal et al., six Portuguese youth led by Claudia Duarte Agostinho and supported by Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), argue that government inaction on #ClimateChange discriminates against young people and poses a risk to their lives and physical and mental health. 🇫🇷 The Carême v. France case is brought by French MP Damien Careme arguing that France has taken insufficient steps to prevent #ClimateChange, which violates #HumanRights. 🧑⚖️ Together, all 3 cases are a key opportunity for the European Court to clarify what #HumanRights law requires States to do to protect people from the #ClimateCrisis, in line with the best available science. While the cases involve 32 countries (27 EU Member States + Britain, Switzerland, Norway, Russia and Turkey), the rulings have the potential to influence the rising tide of #ClimateLitigation cases across Europe and around the world. This moment is a testament to the courage and resilience of the plaintiffs and the expertise and vision of their legal teams. We are honored to be in solidarity with these leaders in the fight for #ClimateAccountability and #ClimateJustice.

Facing an unprecedented climate and environmental crisis, children and young people across Europe have repeatedly shown up on the streets and in the halls of power to stand up for the future of humanity on the only planet we have. They deserve action that meets the challenge - and the Conseil de l'Europe can offer that. The Council must introduce a protocol to the European Convention of Human Rights that finally recognizes the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment! This binding legal instrument is crucial for implementing practical actions to protect our environment and make European states accountable for their actions and promises. It would represent the first step towards the rapid, systemic, and transformative changes needed so that Europe no longer lags behind in the fight for environmental protection. More details: https://lnkd.in/ewkdtY6p #healthyenvironment #healthyenvironmentforall #climate #environment #humanrights

The fight for environmental protection is a matter of justice and human rights, especially for those on the front line facing the impacts of climate breakdown and other crises. Recognizing the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a standalone right in the European framework would particularly benefit vulnerable and marginalized communities, along with environmental rights defenders. This recognition would equip them with legal tools to hold states accountable for their environmental actions, but also strongly advocate for conditions that preserve their health, well-being, and cultural heritage alongside many other rights. Our Coalition is pushing for this key legal instrument - learn more! https://lnkd.in/dhtNaynQ #healthyenvironment #healthyenvironmentforall #climate #environment #humanrights #climatejustice #councilofeurope

In July 2022, a historic United Nations General Assembly resolution recognized a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment as a universal human right. Despite this international milestone, Europe still lags behind in doing the same. On top of the UN’s huge step forward, over 160 countries have already incorporated this right into their national laws, with 42 of them being Conseil de l'Europe members. All international and regional human rights treaties have already provided protection for a #HealthyEnvironmentForAll. Meanwhile, there are growing calls on this from affected communities and youth movements on the front line of the triple planetary crisis. That is why the Council of Europe must develop a legally binding instrument to finally recognize the right and address a legal gap that puts our common future and rights at risk. Learn more about our call: https://lnkd.in/eK4TCE9N #healthyenvironment #healthyenvironmentforall #climate #environment #humanrights

We are calling on civil society organizations, movements and activists from all over Europe 📣 Do you believe in a right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment? And do you think Europe’s human rights system should finally move to make it a reality for all? The time for change is now and your organization can play a crucial part: join us in demanding from the Council of Europe an additional Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights! ✊ This is the fastest and most effective way to ensure that Europe takes a stance on collective and urgent environmental action for all its citizens. Sign up our endorsement letter to Permanent Representations to the Conseil de l'Europe 👉 https://lnkd.in/eSQiKhcz #healthyenvironment #healthyenvironmentforall #climate #environment #humanrights