What is Environmental Justice?
Historical Background
Key Points
8 points- 1.
Fair Treatment: No group of people should bear a disproportionate share of negative environmental consequences from industrial, governmental, and commercial operations.
- 2.
Meaningful Involvement: All people have the opportunity to participate in decisions about activities that may affect their environment and health.
- 3.
Equity: Addresses historical and systemic inequalities that lead to environmental racism or classism.
- 4.
Access to Information and Remedies: Ensures affected communities have access to relevant environmental data and legal recourse.
- 5.
Intergenerational Equity: Considers the rights of future generations to a healthy environment.
- 6.
Focuses on distributional equity how environmental burdens and benefits are distributed and procedural equity fairness in decision-making processes.
- 7.
Often intersects with issues of land rights, indigenous rights, and livelihood protection.
- 8.
Recognizes that environmental issues are often social issues at their core, exacerbated by poverty and power imbalances.
Visual Insights
Environmental Justice: Core Principles & Indian Context
This mind map illustrates the multifaceted concept of Environmental Justice, outlining its core principles, legal foundations in India, and its intersections with broader social and environmental issues relevant for UPSC preparation.
Environmental Justice
- ●Definition
- ●Key Principles
- ●Indian Context
- ●Intersections
Evolution of Environmental Justice & Rights in India (1970s-2025)
This timeline traces the historical development of environmental justice principles and their integration into India's legal and policy framework, highlighting key global and national milestones.
The journey of environmental justice in India is marked by a reactive legal framework, strong judicial activism, and growing public awareness. From early pollution control acts to the expansive interpretation of Article 21 and the establishment of NGT, India has progressively strengthened its commitment to environmental protection, increasingly recognizing its social equity dimensions, especially with recent focus on climate justice.
- 1972Stockholm Conference: Global environmental awareness begins
- 1974Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, India
- 1980sEnvironmental Justice Movement originates in USA
- 1981Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, India
- 1986Environment (Protection) Act, India (umbrella legislation)
- 1991Subhash Kumar v. State of Bihar: SC includes Right to Pollution-Free Environment under Article 21
- 1992Rio Earth Summit: Agenda 21, Sustainable Development principles
- 1996Vellore Citizens' Welfare Forum v. UoI: SC applies 'Polluter Pays' & 'Precautionary Principle'
- 2010National Green Tribunal (NGT) Act: Specialized environmental court
- 2019National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) launched
- 2024-2025Increased policy focus on Climate Justice & Just Transition in India
Recent Developments
5 developmentsGrowing focus on climate justice addressing the unequal impacts of climate change on vulnerable nations and communities.
Emphasis on just transition ensuring a fair transition to a green economy for workers and communities dependent on fossil fuels.
Increased advocacy for participatory environmental governance and community-based monitoring.
Judicial activism through Public Interest Litigations (PILs) to address environmental degradation impacting marginalized groups.
Integration of environmental and social impact assessments in development projects.