The Evolution of Environmental Human Rights in Europe

Abstract

There was no mention of ‘environmental rights’ in the Council of Europe, European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR) of 1950, comprised of civil and political rights. ‘In the 1950s, the universal need for environmental protection was not yet apparent.’ Environmental values have since evolved in response to societal change and increased public awareness. The turning point was the Stockholm Declaration on the Human Environment of 1972, which associated environ mental quality and well being with fundamental rights, and which declares that: ‘Man has a fundamental right to freedom, equality and adequate conditions of life, in an environment of a quality that permits a life of dignity and well being ...’

Citation

Ryland, D. (2005), "The Evolution of Environmental Human Rights in Europe", Managerial Law, Vol. 47 No. 3/4, pp. 117-125. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090550510771395