Human Rights and the Environment

Abstract

This chapter is published in the book International Human Rights Law in Aotearoa New Zealand, edited by Margaret Beddgood, Kris Gledhill and Ian McIntosh. This chapter considers whether New Zealand law should contain explicit human rights to an environment of quality. The author surveys New Zealand’s existing environmental law and compares this to International rights and standards to identify where New Zealand falls short. The chapter concludes that whilst human rights in relation to climate change provides many benefits, such as a public mechanism to influence climate change regulation, they also present problems, such as jurisdictional limits, creating the ultimate rights paradox.