The Universal Declaration on the Right to a Healthy Planet for All

The Universal Declaration on the Right to a Healthy Planet for All

Preamble

Recognizing that humanity is an integral part of nature and that a healthy environment is indispensable for human well-being, dignity, and the full enjoyment of all human rights;

Acknowledging the scientific consensus on the critical state of Earth's life support systems, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and widespread pollution, which collectively threaten planetary boundaries and the very fabric of life;

Affirming the principle of intergenerational equity, ensuring the needs of the present are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs;

Reaffirming the "polluter pays" principle as a cornerstone of environmental justice and sustainable development, holding accountable those who cause environmental degradation;

Emphasizing the intrinsic value of nature, beyond its utility to humans, and the rights of all species to thrive within healthy ecosystems;

The World Parliament, acting in the spirit of global solidarity and shared responsibility, hereby proclaims this Universal Declaration on the Right to a Healthy Planet for All.

Article 1: The Right to a Healthy Planet

Every individual, community, and future generation has the inherent right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. This right includes, but is not limited to:
a. Clean and safe air, free from harmful pollutants.
b. Access to safe, sufficient, and culturally appropriate water.
c. Healthy and sustainably produced food, free from harmful contaminants.
d. A stable climate, capable of supporting human life and thriving biodiversity.
e. Healthy, resilient, and diverse ecosystems.
f. A non-toxic environment, free from hazardous substances and waste.
g. Access to environmental information, participation in environmental decision-making, and access to justice in environmental matters.

Article 2: State Obligations

States shall, within their respective jurisdictions and in cooperation internationally:
a. Respect, Protect, and Fulfill: Take all necessary legislative, administrative, and other measures to respect, protect, and fulfill the right to a healthy planet for all, preventing environmental degradation and ensuring remediation where harm occurs.
b. Planetary Boundaries: Develop and implement policies, laws, and regulations that align with scientifically established planetary boundaries for critical Earth system processes, including climate regulation, biodiversity integrity, biogeochemical flows, land-system change, and novel entities.
c. Biodiversity Protection: Implement robust measures for the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of biodiversity, including the establishment and effective management of protected areas, the prevention of species extinction, and the restoration of degraded ecosystems.
d. Carbon Reduction: Commit to and achieve ambitious, science-based targets for greenhouse gas emissions reduction, phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, promoting renewable energy sources, and investing in carbon sequestration technologies, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050.
e. Pollution Control: Strive for zero pollution targets across air, water, and soil, promoting circular economy principles, sustainable chemical management, and drastically reducing waste generation and hazardous substances.
f. Environmental Justice: Ensure that environmental policies and actions do not disproportionately affect vulnerable populations or marginalized communities, and actively promote equitable access to environmental benefits.
g. Intergenerational Equity: Manage natural resources and environmental systems in a manner that safeguards the interests and well-being of future generations.

Article 3: Corporate Responsibility and the Polluter Pays Principle

All business enterprises, regardless of their size, sector, or location, have a responsibility to respect the right to a healthy planet for all. This includes:
a. Due Diligence: Conducting comprehensive environmental due diligence to identify, prevent, mitigate, and account for their environmental impacts throughout their operations and supply chains.
b. Liability and Remediation: Bearing full financial and and legal responsibility for environmental damage caused by their activities, including the costs of remediation, restoration, and compensation for affected communities and ecosystems.
c. Internalization of Costs: Internalizing environmental externalities, ensuring that the costs of pollution, resource depletion, and biodiversity loss are reflected in their operational costs and product pricing.
d. Transparency: Publicly disclosing their environmental impacts, risks, and performance, and engaging transparently with stakeholders.
e. Innovation: Investing in and adopting sustainable technologies, processes, and business models that minimize environmental footprint and contribute to planetary regeneration.

Article 4: Access to Information, Participation, and Justice

States shall guarantee:
a. Access to Information: Timely, affordable, and easy access to environmental information held by public authorities and private entities.
b. Public Participation: Effective opportunities for all individuals and groups to participate in environmental decision-making processes that may affect their right to a healthy planet.
c. Access to Justice: Access to effective judicial and administrative remedies for violations of the right to a healthy planet, including mechanisms for redress, compensation, and restoration.

Article 5: International Cooperation

States shall cooperate in good faith and in a spirit of global partnership to address transboundary environmental challenges, including:
a. Capacity Building: Providing financial and technical assistance to developing countries to enable them to fulfill their obligations under this Declaration.
b. Technology Transfer: Facilitating the transfer of environmentally sound technologies and knowledge, particularly to developing countries, on fair and favorable terms.
c. Harmonization: Working towards the harmonization of environmental standards and regulations to prevent environmental dumping and ensure a level playing field.

Article 6: Implementation and Oversight

a. The World Parliament shall establish a standing committee or independent expert mechanism to monitor the implementation of this Declaration and to provide guidance to States and other actors.
b. States shall regularly report on their progress in fulfilling the right to a healthy planet for all, and these reports shall be subject to public scrutiny.
c. This Declaration shall serve as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance.