The United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 76 on July 26, 2022, declaring the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. Among the justifications presented are the risks of the impact of climate change and the unsustainable management of natural resources that interfere with the enjoyment of a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment by all human beings.
Environmental damage is felt by individuals and communities around the world, with a more substantial impact on vulnerable groups such as women, girls, indigenous peoples, children, and the elderly. The Resolution recognizes the importance of gender equality and the demand to address climate change and prevent environmental degradation. It also highlights the need for empowerment, leadership, and meaningful participation of women and girls as managers, leaders, and advocates of natural resources in the protection of the environment.
Environmental degradation, climate change, loss of biodiversity, desertification, and unsustainable development constitute some of the most significant pressures and severe threats for effectively enjoying all human rights by present and future generations. The Resolution also recognizes that the exercise of human rights, including the rights to seek, receive and impart information, to participate effectively in the conduct of government is vital to the protection of a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment; UN Member States reaffirm their commitment to respect, protect and promote human rights to avoid environmental degradation. Additional measures should be taken to face the environmental challenges and ensure the effectiveness of human rights for all. UN member states, international organizations, and businesses must adopt environmental policies to ensure the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.
This normative context of the UN Resolution clearly configures the right to clean, healthy, and sustainable cities without noise pollution. Noise pollution is one of the factors of environmental harm, also jeopardizing the fundamental rights to quality of life, health, work, rest, and others. Urban noise causes an unclean, unhealthy, and unsustainable environment. Therefore, city leaders must commit to eliminating, mitigating, and isolating noise pollution to protect the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment!
Also, companies, service providers, suppliers of mechanical equipment, and other organizations must be committed to a clean, healthy, and sustainable noise-free environment.
**All rights reserved. This article must not be reproduced or used without mentioning the source.
Ericson Scorsim. Lawyer and Public Law Consultant Ph.D. in Law from the University of São Paulo (USP). Author of the book Propostas Regulatórias: Anti-Ruídos Urbanos (Regulatory Proposals), Amazon, 2022
Crédito de Imagem: ONU – Unsplash/Manuel Venturini
