Climate breakdown is a human rights issue

Cornell explores how we can build an environmental human rights-based culture

Without a healthy environment, we cannot survive or thrive.

Environmental damage and human suffering are two sides of the same coin. Globally, we are facing a triple planetary crisis of climate breakdown, biodiversity loss, and increasing pollution of our air, land and water.

The disproportionate impact of the triple planetary crisis

The triple planetary crisis is already impacting Scotland. Severe weather events, air and water pollution, proximity to contaminated land, and poor access to nature-rich greenspace are examples of substantive environmental problems that contribute to inequalities in health and wellbeing.

People living in areas of high disadvantage, children, older people, disabled people, and people with health conditions are disproportionately affected by environmental problems and are often least responsible for causing environmental damage. They also often have fewer resources to challenge these environmental burdens. This contributes to systemic discrimination.

Scotland’s environmental defenders

We must empower individuals and communities to be at the heart of environmental action.

Across Scotland, there is widespread public concern over the impacts of climate breakdown, the degraded state of our ecosystems, and the harmful effects of pollution on human and environmental health.

From the launch of ERCS’s Advice Service in June 2021 to April 2025, we received over 600 enquiries from people across Scotland seeking to protect nature and reduce exposure to environmental harms.

ERCS’s Environmental Justice Network are clients from our legal Advice Service who have come together to share their experiences and expertise in challenging environmental damage.

Their work includes combating sewage pollution, addressing the harm caused by incinerators, fighting for retrofitting instead of demolishing housing, and halting the sacrifice of community greenspace to industrial development.

The human right to a healthy environment

In July 2022, the United Nations General Assembly recognised a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a universal human right, and that environmental damage has negative implications for the effective enjoyment of all human rights for present and future generations.

165 out of 193 UN Member States now recognise the right, which the UN sees as a critical tool for holding public bodies and big polluters to account; and in September 2025, UN General Comment 27 affirmed that governments must uphold economic, social and cultural rights in the context of environmental breakdown and climate crisis.

This is why we need the human right to a healthy environment incorporated in a Scottish Human Rights Bill because it will, for the first time, protect six interdependent features:  the right to clean air, a safe climate, safe and sufficient water, non‑toxic environments, access to healthy and sustainable food, and healthy biodiversity and ecosystems, all of which are essential for health and wellbeing.

Building an environmental human rights-based culture

Embedding the right to a healthy environment within health and social care provision is pivotal to addressing the environmental causes of ill‑health, such as air pollution. A rights‑based approach would require decision makers, public bodies and health and social care providers to actively consider the six interdependent features above when designing services, allocating adequate resources and planning for climate adaptation.

By reducing the barriers to access to justice, it would also empower individuals and communities to hold authorities accountable when environmental pollution and other burdens undermine their health outcomes.

The right to a healthy environment within a rights-based culture directs us to address existing health inequalities and environmental injustice. For disabled people and people living with health conditions, it means not being treated as an afterthought in climate policy, but as rights‑holders whose health, dignity and participation must be prioritised in Scotland’s response to the triple planetary crisis.

Cornell will be speaking at the event ‘Building a human rights culture’ hosted by The ALLIANCE and Human Rights Consortium Scotland (HRCS). The event will be taking place on Thursday 14 May at the Boardwalk, Glasgow. To register your place email Academy@alliance-scotland.org.uk

United Nations Climate Change (accessed 11 Aug 2025) What is the triple planetary crisis?; United Nations Environment Programme & International Science Council (July 2024) Navigating New Horizons: A global foresight report on planetary health and human wellbeing.Adaptation Scotland (2025) Climate Projections for Scotland: Summary.

Rivers Trust (accessed 11 Aug 2025) State of Our Rivers 2024 Report; Royal College of Physicians (2025) A breath of fresh air Responding to the health challenges of modern air pollution.

Environmental Standards Scotland (Oct 2024) The risk to Scotland’s soils: a scoping report.

European Environment Agency (Sept 2019) Healthy environment, healthy lives: how the environment influences health and well-being in Europe.

United Nations Environment Programme & International Science Council (July 2024) Navigating New Horizons: A global foresight report on planetary health and human wellbeing.

European Environment Agency (accessed 11 Aug 2025) Environmental inequalities.

Jarvie, ERCS blog (9 Jan 2024) Save Our Shore Leith: Two years of advocating for a clean Water of Leith; ERCS (10 June 2025) Bathing waters designation – murkier than ever?.

ERCS (16 March 2023) The fight to stop the Clydebank incinerator – Kenny’s voice for justice; ERCS (12 May 2025) Defending Cullaloe Forest from environmental harm – Mark’s Voice for Justice.

Yule, ERCS blog (12 March 2024) Wynford Residents Union: Defending residents’ rights.

Friends of Saint Fittick’s Park (accessed 12 Aug 2025).

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations Environment Programme & United Nations Development Programme (Jan 2023) What is the right to a healthy environment?.

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (1998) Convention on access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters; Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations Environment Programme & United Nations Development Programme (Jan 2023) What is the right to a healthy environment?. [1] United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (30 September 2025), Development cannot be achieved on dying planet, UN committee issues new guidance.

End of page.