Reykjavík Declaration, 2023

We underline the urgency of additional efforts to protect the environment, as well as to counter the impact of the triple planetary crisis of pollution, climate change and loss of biodiversity on human rights, democracy and the rule of law. We therefore commit to strengthening our work on the human rights aspects of the environment and initiate the Reykjavik process of focusing and strengthening the work of the council of Europe in this field.

Report Towards a new democratic pact for Europe

Europe continues to grapple with overlapping crises affecting social justice, public health and the environment. The lingering effects of the cost-of-living crisis, accelerated climate change and rising social inequalities have placed additional pressure on governments, institutions and communities. (…)  Vulnerable populations continue to face significant hardships, and structural disparities remain a persistent concern.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
  • Mitigating the impact of the environmental crisis on human rights is a major global challenge, which has been identified as a priority for the Council of Europe. 
  • This crisis has unequal negative impacts on groups exposed to discrimination who are often more severely affected by environmental stress factors due to spatial segregation, unsatisfactory housing conditions and job precarity. In addition to low-income and poor living conditions, ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious minorities, migrants, as well as LGBTI persons tend to experience higher levels of marginalisation and discrimination amplifying the negative effects of climate change.
  • Ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious minorities often reside and work in impoverished environments. In particular Roma and Travellers are often denied access to essential environmental services, including clean drinking water, proper sanitation, effective waste management. These communities are disproportionately burdened by environmental hazards such as pollution and degradation caused by waste dumps, landfills, contaminated sites, and polluting industries, with severe health repercussions. 
  • Migrants are more likely to live in substandard housing and to report problems with air quality, noise, litter, or traffic in their neighbourhoods. Additionally, as migrants struggle to afford healthcare, they are less likely to use healthcare services than their peers and, in some cases, can even be excluded from healthcare provision. As a result, environmental issues impact on their health conditions and turn them in chronic problems. 
  • LGBTI people often face inadequate or ineffective responses following climate disasters. Without legal recognition of same-sex relationships or due to discrepancies between their gender identity and the sex or gender markers on official identity documents, they may be denied access to shelters or not receive support on an equal footing with heterosexual people, in particular from family-based relief systems. LGBTI people also have increased risks of gender-based violence, such as experiencing assault and harassment in shelters.
  • CDADI has started exploring this topic more in detail through the preparation of a study. Results of this work will be published here, as they become available.