How can we strengthen institutions to extend environmental rights and make environmentally conscious governance a norm?

Environmental rights and environmentally conscious governance are essential aspects to ensure a greener future for society. It is, therefore, imperative for governments and world leaders to set an example by tweaking their policies to support environment-friendly changes going forward. Inter-governmental organizations such as the United Nations (UN) are institutions with various branches that address various global issues while acting as a medium of cooperation between nation-states.

Specific committees such as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) are primarily focused on and responsible for ensuring cooperation between governments with regards to ensuring environmentally sustainable and conscious governance. It is imperative that nation-states and their governments not only exploit the environment for what it offers them in terms of a wealth of resources but also make it a point to preserve it for the well-being of future generations and society going forward.

To begin with, it is important to establish the different political perspectives of individuals about the role institutions as a whole play in international politics. A certain section of individuals known as realists share the belief that states are the most important actors in an anarchic international system wherein institutions such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and inter-governmental organizations (IGOs) do not play as significant a role comparatively. To put things into perspective, a realist would believe that the United Nations as an organization does not play a very significant role in international politics and in terms of influencing the national policies of states. In this context, they would believe that a committee of the United Nations (UN) such as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) or an NGO such as Greenpeace should not be considered a prevalent actor when it comes to influencing decisions and driving change.

These views are often countered by liberalists, who adopt a more open-minded approach and support claims on how institutions (non-state actors) play a very significant role in ensuring global well-being and fostering a greater sense of cooperation between states. This is essential when it comes to extending environmental rights and making environmentally conscious governance a norm. While it is important to ensure that we strengthen institutions to implement these environment-friendly changes, it is also worth understanding the impact these institutions have already had and the actions that they continue to take.

The Paris Climate Agreement which came into force on the 4th of November, 2016, is a legally binding treaty that was adopted by 196 member states in Paris at a United Nations Climate Change Conference as part of COP 21. The overarching objective of this treaty was to limit rising earth temperatures to 1.5 degrees celsius at most, keeping them well below 2.0 degrees celsius. This was the first time that a common treaty was signed between member states to cooperate to mitigate climate change and adopt changes in national policies to adapt to its ever-growing effects. The agreement also acted as a medium for developed countries to assist developing countries with regards to meeting their climate goals and adopting environment conscious policies.

As specified by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) with regards to the Paris Climate Agreement, member-states would meet at an interval of every 5 years to re-evaluate their progress related to climate change and accordingly adjust their objectives for the years to come. The first such cycle was held this year in the form of COP 26 which by many was deemed a failure full of fake promises made by world leaders. This is where it is essential to understand the fact that environmentalists and climate activists can also act as institutions and in political terms, as non-state actors who can influence and put pressure on governments to make environment-conscious decisions.

One of the most prominent young figures who has advocated for environmental action while also criticizing the actions of world leaders has been Greta Thunberg, a young Swedish climate activist. In 2018, she launched a global movement called ‘Fridays for Future’ with nearly 10 million supporters worldwide. The movement aims to put pressure on policymakers and world leaders to take action against climate change.

It is essential that climate activists are given opportunities by organizations outside the sphere of governments to voice their opinions and call for change. Activists such as Greta Thunberg have significantly influenced domestic politics and policies in countries across the globe by mobilising public support and applying pressure on world leaders. For instance, in 2019, Thunberg’s rallying campaign with 7 million protesters significantly affected Austrian politics days later. As part of the Austrian elections, the votes for ‘The Green Party’ tripled to 14% in what is described as the ‘Greta Thunberg Effect’.

More so, during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Greta Thunberg pointed out a lack of action on climate change from him. This immediately resulted in a 10% drop in support among young voters according to data from ‘Nanos Research’, a Canadian public opinion company, as of 2019. This portrays how climate activists can significantly influence the very nature of governments when it comes to changing their ideologies and perspectives on aspects such as climate change.

In addition to that, institutions must extend the very principle of environmental rights. These are an extension of basic human rights that each individual deserves and must have. Having a sustainable environment to survive in is essential for other basic human rights to be available such as food, water, shelter and even access to education. It is, therefore, evident that non-governmental organizations such as Greenpeace must be given a platform to take action to promote the preservation of environmental rights as they have a much greater chance of taking action against pressing global issues as compared to putting pressure on governments to be environmentally conscious.

To further emphasize these points, a fine example of the same would be the action Greenpeace took against fashion brands such as Burberry and Primark when it organized a social media storm that lasted three days in addition to having volunteers campaign outside Burberry stores in six different countries. This eventually led to Burberry and Primark committing to eliminating the use of toxic, perfluorinated chemicals in their manufacturing process by 2020.

On 9th November 2021, Greenpeace Germany filed a lawsuit against Volkswagen after it refused to speed up its reduction of CO2 emissions and reluctance to phase out all of its internal combustion vehicles at the earliest, latest by 2030. This shows how non-governmental organizations such as Greenpeace can have a significant impact when it comes to extending environmental rights and taking action against corporations who refuse to adopt environmentally conscious ways of operating.

To conclude, it is fair to say that pressure must be applied on governments to make them environmentally conscious. Additionally, environmental rights must also be promoted further and preserved by institutions. For this to effectively take place, it is essential that a greater amount of power is vested in non-governmental organizations such as Greenpeace and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) that are taking action against corporations that refuse to adopt environment-friendly policies. This must also apply to intergovernmental bodies such as the United Nations and its multiple environment-specific agencies.

Above all, it is imperative that young people are provided with a platform to voice their opinions as environmentalists against governments who have continuously ignored the multitude of environmental catastrophes that have ravaged the world in the past and still continue to unfold before our very own eyes.

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