Environment and Human Rights (CDDH-ENV)
The Council of Europe has identified the protection of the environment and human rights as a top priority. The organisation already has a long and rich acquis of instruments and standards relating to human rights and the environment, including over 300 judgments of the European Court of Human Rights relating to environmental issues and numerous decisions and conclusions of the European Committee of Social Rights. These developments are described in detail by the Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH) in the Manual on Human Rights and the Environment.
In Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)20 to member States on human rights and the protection of the environment, which was drafted by the CDDH, the Committee of Ministers recognised that “measures to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, loss of biodiversity and pollution are essential to the better enjoyment of human rights” and that “life and well-being on our planet are contingent on humanity’s collective capacity to guarantee both human rights and a clean, healthy and sustainable environment for present and future generations”.
All Council of Europe member States voted in favour of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 76/300, adopted in July 2022, which recognised the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a human right related to other rights and existing international law. The Council of Europe as such, however, has not recognised this right. Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)20 calls on member States to “reflect on the nature, content and implications of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment and, on that basis, actively consider recognising at the national level this right as a human right that is important for the enjoyment of human rights and is related to other rights and existing international law”. The Committee of Ministers has invited the CDDH, in the context of its ongoing work on human rights and the environment, to consider the need for and feasibility of a further instrument or instruments on human rights and the environment. Work on the draft report began at the 5th meeting of the CDDH Drafting Group on Human Rights and the Environment (CDDH-ENV) in September 2022. The CDDH-ENV held its last meeting on 19-21 March 2024 with a view to transmit the draft report to the CDDH for its adoption at the meeting of the latter in June 2024.
1st meeting, 28-30 April 2021
Meeting report
Addendum to the Meeting report - Draft Manual on Human Rights and the Environment 3rd edition "Principles emerging from the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights and from the conclusions and decisions of the European Committee on Social Rights"
Workshop on Environment, Human Rights and Business, 27 April 2021
The Workshop on Environment, Human Rights and Business: A framework for addressing environmental protection challenges, organised by the CDDH under the aegis of the German Presidency of the Committee of Ministers took place on 27 April.
Programme 
Video
2nd meeting, 3-5 November 2021
Addendum to the meeting report: Preliminary draft recommendation on human rights and the protection of the environment
3rd meeting, 26-28 January 2022
4th meeting, 6-8 April 2022
- Meeting report
- Addendum to the meeting report : Draft recommendation on human rights and the protection of the environment
5th meeting, 13-15 September 2022
Exchange of views with independent experts and representatives from the Parliamentary Assembly and the European Committee of Social Rights (13-15 September 2022)
PRESENTATIONS BY THE EXPERTS:
- Prof. John KNOX, Former UN Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, Henry C. Lauerman Professor of International Law, Wake Forest University School of Law, USA
- Mr Sébastien DUYCK, Senior Attorney, Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), Campaign Manager Human Rights & Climate, Climate & Energy Program, Geneva
- Dr Lea RAIBLE, Lecturer in Public Law at the University of Glasgow
- Prof. Helen KELLER, Former Judge at the European Court of Human Rights, Chair for Public Law and European and Public International Law, University of Zürich
- Prof. Elisabeth LAMBERT, Director of Research at the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Faculty of Law, University of Strasbourg
- Mr Simon MOUTQUIN, Rapporteur of the report on “Anchoring the right to a healthy environment: need for enhanced action by the Council of Europe”, Member of the Parliamentary Assembly Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development, Member of the Chamber of Representatives, Belgium
- Prof. Giuseppe PALMISANO, Former President of the European Committee of Social Rights, Department of Law, Roma Tre University, Italy
6th meeting, 8-10 February 2023
7th meeting, 2 May and 4-5 May 2023
High-level Conference "The right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment in practice"
REPLAY MORNING SESSION 
REPLAY AFTERNOON SESSIONS
8th meeting, 25-26 + 28-29 September 2023
9th meeting, 17-19 January 2024
10th meeting, 19-21 March 2024
Chairperson
Nicola WENZEL (Germany)
Publications
Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)20 to member States on human rights and the protection of the environment, adopted by the Committee of Ministers at the 1444th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies, on 27 September 2022.
MANUAL ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT (3rd edition)
This updated manual seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the relationship existing between human rights and the environment, as expressed through the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Social Charter by examining how these instruments contribute to the strengthening of environmental protection at national level.
Proceedings of the High-level Conference "Environmental Protection and Human Rights" on 27 February 2020 with the Manual on Human Rights and the Environment (2nd edition/2012)
Council of Europe webpage "Protecting the environment using human rights law"
