Discusses the trade-offs inherent in international human rights law with regard to sustainable development. Provides an overview of the capability approach by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum and of the role of the «human right to a healthy environment» in the promotion of sustainable development . Concludes with a more recent (successful) case in defence of nature's rights in Ecuador based on Art. 71 of the Ecuadorian constitution. Goes together with mandatory reading and the following questions to be addressed in class:
Explain how international human rights law can be both conducive and obstructive to achieving sustainable development.
How could the «Global Pact for the Environment» help the realisation of the SDGs?