{"id":681203,"date":"2024-10-03T09:31:21","date_gmt":"2024-10-02T23:31:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org.au\/?p=681203"},"modified":"2024-10-03T11:57:40","modified_gmt":"2024-10-03T01:57:40","slug":"human-rights-act-protecting-our-right-to-a-healthy-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org.au\/human-rights-act-protecting-our-right-to-a-healthy-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"A Human Rights Act: protecting our right to a healthy environment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-the-right-to-a-healthy-environment\">What is the right to a healthy environment?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In July 2022, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.undp.org\/sites\/g\/files\/zskgke326\/files\/2023-01\/UNDP-UNEP-UNHCHR-What-is-the-Right-to-a-Healthy-Environment.pdf\">United Nations welcomed the recognition<\/a> by the General Assembly that a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is a human right. That includes: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>A safe climate <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Clean air <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Healthy ecosystems and biodiversity <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Safe and sufficient water <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Healthy and sustainable food <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Non-toxic environment <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>As well as access to information, public participation and access to justice. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Fast forward to August 2024, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.act.gov.au\/safer-communities\/right-to-a-healthy-environment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Australian Capital Territory Parliament passed a law protecting the right to a healthy environment<\/a>. It made the ACT the only place in Australia where that right is protected. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A healthy environment is crucial for our wellbeing and happiness. This law in the ACT means the government must consider the right to a healthy environment when making decisions. It also means that if those rights are ever violated, the community has the legal grounding to take action and challenge injustice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-us-case-study\"><mark style=\"background-color:#f7fd00\" class=\"has-inline-color\">A US case study<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In the United States, Montanna politicians passed a law prohibiting state agencies from considering the impact of emissions in their decision-making. This meant that when evaluating a coal mine approval, they were prevented from factoring in the mine\u2019s emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like so many of us, people in Montana were already feeling the consequences of climate change, with more smoke from worsening wildfires, retreating glaciers, and increasing drought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In response, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org.au\/global-ruling-in-favour-of-activists-in-us-climate-lawsuit-sets-historic-human-rights-based-precedent\/\">sixteen young people took the government to court<\/a> asserting their right to a &#8216;clean and healthful environment&#8217; which is protected in Montanna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The result: the court ruled in their favour!<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-an-australian-case-study\"><mark style=\"background-color:#f7fd00\" class=\"has-inline-color\">An Australian case study<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2021, a group of eight children, led by Anjali Sharma, <a href=\"http:\/\/envlaw.com.au\/sharma\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">filed a case against the Federal Minister for the Environment<\/a> to prevent the approval of the Vickery Extension Project, a coal mine expansion in New South Wales.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In May 2021, the court initially ruled in favour of the children, <strong>recognising that the Minister owed a duty of care to avoid causing personal injury to young people due to the project\u2019s potential climate impacts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the ruling was later overturned in an appeal in March 2022, the case remains groundbreaking, highlighting the government\u2019s responsibilities in addressing climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2023, Anjali Sharma moved to Canberra for university and worked with ACT Senator David Pocock on a <a href=\"https:\/\/adutyofcare.davidpocock.com.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"broken_link\">Duty of Care Bill<\/a>, building on that legal action. Although the Senate Inquiry recommended passing the bill, the youth activist continues this vital conversation about the right to a healthy environment at a national level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-could-this-mean-for-australia\">What could this mean for Australia?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With the right to a healthy environment protected in Australia\u2019s laws, our community could take action against climate injustice. But without a federal Human Rights Act, these injustices can continue to go unchecked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Australia is the only liberal democracy in the world without a law protecting all human rights. A Human Rights Act would protect our right to a healthy environment alongside our rights to health, housing, education, and more.<\/strong> <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-1 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-align-center wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/action.amnesty.org.au\/act-now\/support-a-human-rights-act\">SIGN THE PETITION FOR A HUMAN RIGHTS ACT<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Protecting our rights in a Federal Human Rights Act will help us protect our future and the future of our planet &#8211; where we can all enjoy clean air, safe waters and climate, and healthy biodiversity and ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With so many people in Australia facing the consequences of climate inaction through floods, fires, and droughts, <a href=\"https:\/\/action.amnesty.org.au\/act-now\/support-a-human-rights-act\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">now is the time to protect the right to a healthy environment in our laws.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-s-next\">What&#8217;s next?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The good news is that we\u2019re closer than ever to protecting our human rights in law. The Labor-led Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights has recently recommended the government legislate a Human Rights Act to protect all our human rights &#8211; including the right to a healthy environment &#8211; in our federal laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/action.amnesty.org.au\/act-now\/support-a-human-rights-act\">Now, we need the Albanese government to agree to the inquiry recommendation and commit to legislating a Human Rights Act.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We know that 3 in 4 people support the government legislating a Human Rights Act. To get them to commit to legislating an Act, Members of Parliament need to hear that their constituents support a Human Rights Act and want them to legislate one.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sign the petition to support a Human Rights Act now! Together, we can create a fairer future, where all our human rights &#8211; including our right to a healthy environment &#8211; are protected in our federal laws.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:31px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns cta-text-and-button darkbg is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:60%\">\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-it-s-time-to-protect-our-right-to-a-healthy-environment-sign-the-petition-for-a-human-rights-act-in-australia\">It&#8217;s time to protect our right to a healthy environment. <strong>Sign the petition for a Human Rights Act in Australia<\/strong>.<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:40%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/action.amnesty.org.au\/act-now\/support-a-human-rights-act\">TAKE ACTION NOW<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:31px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is the right to a healthy environment? In July 2022, the United Nations welcomed the recognition by the General Assembly that a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is a human right. That includes: Fast forward to August 2024, the Australian Capital Territory Parliament passed a law protecting the right to a healthy environment. It [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":112,"featured_media":681231,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.4 (Yoast SEO v23.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>A Human Rights Act: protecting our right to a healthy environment - Amnesty International Australia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The ACT is the only place in Australia where a right to a healthy environment is protected. 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