Routledge Human Rights and the Environment: Key Issues (Key Issues in Environment and Sustainability)

The field of human rights and the environment has grown phenomenally during the last few years and this textbook will be one of the first to encourage students to think critically about how many environmental issues lead to a violation of existing rights. Taking a socio-legal approach, this book will provide a good understanding of both human rights and environmental issues, as well as the limitations of each regime, and will explore the ways in which human rights law and institutions can be used to obtain relief for the victims of environmental degradation or of adverse effects of environmental policies. In addition, it will place an emphasis on climate change and climate policies to highlight the pros and cons of using a human rights framework and to underscore its importance in the context of climate change. As well as identifying emerging issues and areas for further research, each chapter will be rich in pedagogical features, including web links to further research and discussion questions for beyond the classroom. Combining their specialisms in law and politics, Atapattu and Schapper have developed a truly inter-disciplinary resource that will be essential for students of human rights, environmental studies, international law, international relations, politics, and philosophy. Review "In a world besieged by pollution, climate change, and declining biodiversity, it is vital to assess whether human rights can help address these challenges. This comprehensive new book by leading experts Sumudu Atapattu and Andrea Schapper offers a clear and timely assessment." -- David Boyd, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Environment & Associate Professor, Law, Policy, and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Canada "Environmental degradation and human rights violations are intrinsically intertwined. In this textbook, leading experts Sumudu Atapattu and Andrea Schapper discuss their relationship comprehensively." -- Judge Navanethem Pillay, Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights "This clear, accessible, student-friendly and comprehensive treatment of human rights and the environment is both timely and welcome. The book addresses, with expertise and clarity, the foundational aspects of the field, offering students a solid understanding of its key institutional and conceptual characteristics. The book also introduces students to important critical themes and provides helpful questions for reflection and discussion. This textbook is likely to prove a most valuable resource for anyone teaching or studying the increasingly important nexus between human rights and the environment." -- Anna Grear, Professor of Law and Theory, School of Law and Politics, Cardiff University, UK "Climate change and environmental destruction are the biggest threats to all species living on the globe. Combined they constitute the worst global and intergenerational injustice. This textbook contributes an exceptional insight to what law brings to addressing the injustices as well as the limitations of the legal regime. In a pedagogical and highly sophisticated manner, the authors combine human rights and environmental justice framed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This textbook is not only important to stimulate curiosity and critical reflection for students, it will also be highly inspiring reading for all to whom the survival of the earth is a major concern." -- Morten Kjaerum, Director, Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Sweden "In 2012, the current United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment, David Boyd, suggested we are witnessing an "environmental rights revolution". In their new book, Professors Sumudu Atapattu and Andrea Schapper, both prominent scholars in the areas of environmental justice, sustainable development and environmental law, make a timely and important contribution to this "revolution". They provide: a comprehensive sur