After landmark UN declaration, hope for cleaner air
Last month, the United Nations General Assembly passed a historic resolution declaring access to a healthy environment a universal human right.
The resolution has been lauded around the world in recent weeks, raising hopes it will prod governments to tackle a host of long-neglected environmental problems.
At the top of the list for environmental campaigners is air pollution, which is responsible for nearly 10 per cent of all global deaths.
“The resolution will empower people to claim their rights to a healthy environment,” said Soo-Young Hwang, a Legal Officer with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). “And the right to breathe clean air is an integral component of the right to a healthy environment.”
Hwang made the comments ahead of the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, which is designed to raise awareness about the dangers of air pollution.
