Human rights and the environment

The world is experiencing a triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste, with grave implications for the enjoyment of human rights. In 2021, the UN Human Rights Council recognized for the first time the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. Yet responsible business conduct guidance has tended to view human rights and environment as separate and distinct silos. This chapter explores how the study of business and human rights (BHR) can incorporate an environmental human rights approach by integrating attention to substantive environmental rights, procedural environmental rights, and the cross-cutting importance of equity, non-discrimination, and vulnerability. This chapter first introduces an environmental human rights framework for teaching BHR, then reflects on environmental and climate justice challenges. The chapter explores different approaches to teaching BHR and environment for law, business, and policy students with sample exercises and key questions for discussion.