We are facing a triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity and ecosystem loss, and pollution. This triple planetary crisis impacts the full enjoyment of human rights (including social, economic and cultural rights as well as civil and political rights) both directly and indirectly. These interlinked crises act as threat multipliers, amplifying conflicts, tensions and structural inequalities, and forcing people into increasingly vulnerable situations. Environmental threats, as they intensify, will constitute one of the greatest challenges to human rights in our era and are already contributing to people being left behind in the quest to achieve sustainable peace and development, increasing environmental injustices. The COVID-19 pandemic has further aggravated this scenario and has exposed deep inequalities in the distribution of wealth and resources, in the delivery of basic services, in the equitable access to justice and security for all, and in the promotion and protection of human rights.

Prepared with insight and expertise from the UNEP Law Division, this technical paper and guidance note form the basis for a new United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) strategy for engaging in environmental justice as an integrated and collaborative effort that brings together the rule of law, human rights, governance and nature, climate and energy workstreams (and others as relevant). For the purposes of this publication, environmental justice is conceptualized as the goal of promoting justice and accountability in environmental matters, focusing on the respect, protection and fulfilment of environmental rights, and the promotion of the environmental rule of law.

The paper presents a comprehensive technical framework for this strategy and summarizes insights and key findings from an extensive research process. This paper also summarizes findings on priority areas for programming and policy support to inform an integrated and future-oriented approach to environmental justice.