Abstract
This chapter deals with the main stages of the formation of environmental
rights in international law. The authors define the human right to a favorable
environment as the possibility for every person, people, and the whole humankind to
live with such a state of the Earths biosphere that ensures the maximum level of
physical and mental health, as well as means eliminating global threats to the biosphere
caused by human activity.
It is stated that further development of the system of environmental rights will
inevitably affect human rights and the environment, and the rights of environmental
refugees. The main authorities of Russian citizens and public associations in the field
of environmental protection are studied in terms of Russian legislation. These include
right to establish public associations and non-commercial organizations which carry
out activities in the area of environmental protection; the right to participate in
assemblies, rallies, pickets, processions and demonstrations, referendums and other
activities relating to environmental protection that are not contrary to legislation; the
right of citizens to require state authorities, local government bodies and other
organizations to provide timely, complete and reliable environmental information; the
right to propose organization of a public environmental expert review and participate in
it; the right to file complaints, applications and proposals concerning nature protection
issues and the negative impact of it on state authorities, local government bodies and
other organizations and to obtain timely and substantiated responses; the right of
citizens to file claims in court for compensation for harm caused to the environment, as
well as to their life, health and property, and the right to provide assistance to public
authorities in settlement of environmental protection issues. Further, the authors
consider environmental duties of citizens and their associations as well as state
guarantees of citizens rights (i.e., a set of Russian conditions for the exercise of
environmental rights and means of their protection in case of encroachment on them by
the state or third parties).
Keywords: Citizens, Climate, Complaints, Demonstrations, Duties, Environmental information, Expert review, Guarantees, Harm, Human rights, International cooperation, Judicial practice, Law, Public associations, Pickets, Rallies, Refugees, Stages, State authorities, UN.