Human Rights as a Prism for Analysing the Ecological Transition

The fight against the ecological crisis and the protection of human rights are interdependent challenges that require collective efforts from governments, international organizations, civil society, businesses, and individuals. Most human rights are negatively affected by the ecological crisis. However, in a more positive sense, the international human rights normative framework highlights numerous pathways to ensure an effective, sustainable, just, and equitable ecological transition. Not only does environmental protection contribute to the realization of human rights, but the protection of human rights also plays a role in environmental preservation and provides avenues for ecological transition.The right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment encompasses fundamental rights such as access to clean air, a safe climate, potable water, healthy and sustainably produced food, non-toxic environments, as well as healthy biodiversity and ecosystems.As this study emphasizes, a human rights-based approach encourages states to commit to transitioning towards agroecological food systems, halting and reversing deforestation and land degradation, and improving adaptive capacities, particularly for vulnerable and marginalized populations. By adopting an approach centered on the role of human rights in addressing the ecological crisis, this report provides insights into how human rights can serve as a guiding principle to ensure that the ecological transition is just, sustainable, and equitable.Many rights are directly affected, particularly several economic and social determinants of the right to health, such as access to nutritious food, drinking water, sanitation, and housing. Addressing the global ecological crisis from a human rights perspective helps highlight the principles of universality and non-discrimination while underscoring that these rights must be guaranteed for all, including members of vulnerable groups.While nearly all individuals experience the effects of environmental degradation, the consequences are more severe for those already in situations of marginalization or vulnerability. The most exposed populations often include children and young people, the elderly, persons with disabilities, those living in poverty, ethnic, racial, or other marginalized minorities, Indigenous peoples, displaced persons—whether within a country or across borders—refugees and migrants, as well as human rights defenders.Fighting inequalities in the face of the ecological crisis requires a human rights-based approach that incorporates environmentally, socially, and economically just solutions to ensure that no one is left behind in the transition to a more sustainable future. This report analyzes how, in response to the various impacts of the ecological crisis on human rights, both human rights doctrine and case law are rapidly evolving to promote a human rights-based approach that aligns with the ecological transition.By aligning the principles of a just transition with human rights, policymakers and stakeholders can work together to ensure that the shift toward sustainability is socially just and does not compromise the rights and well-being of individuals and communities.