Sustainability, Human Rights and Emerging Environmental Issues

The United Nations has observed 5 June as World Environment Day since 1974, establishing it as a global platform for promoting environmental awareness ,encouraging collective action toward environmental protection , addressing concerns such as pollution, climate change, sustainable food systems, biodiversity conservation, and wildlife protection and emphasizing the broader goal of living sustainably in harmony with nature. The World Environment Day 2026, organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and hosted by the Republic of Azerbaijan, carries the campaign slogan “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future. India possesses a rich cultural and historical tradition of environmental stewardship and conservation which is reflected through indigenous knowledge systems, traditional practices, folklore, arts and crafts, religious beliefs, customs, and everyday life. However, the increasing pace of environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, species vulnerability, and habitat destruction highlights the urgent need to revisit and strengthen these traditions while fostering environmental consciousness, particularly among younger generations, within the framework of both intergenerational and intragenerational equity .India has also developed a comprehensive environmental legal framework and institutional mechanisms aligned with international environmental commitments and obligations. Against this backdrop, this session seeks to bring together national and international stakeholders to advance collective efforts toward creating a cleaner more equitable, pollution-free, and ethically responsible world that remains closely connected with nature.

Keywords: Sustainable Living, Right to a Clean Environment, Judicial Activism, UNEP, Human Ethics.