The human right to a good environment: the sword in the stone

Abstract

In 1994, the Secretary General of the United Nations said that, "without protection of the environment, the basis of human survival will be eroded." Time has shown that the principles of "sustainable development" alone will not be sufficient to protect the environment. Time has shown that the interest that present and future generations have in the environment need to be rooted in positive law. The argument is that the human right to a good environment provides a cost effective, forward thinking and practical method of dealing with environmental problems. The first step in its introduction would be for the right to be recognised formally on an international level. The second step would be the introduction of appropriate legal mechanisms and regulations that govern decision making on a day to day basis.