Chapter 5 On the Realization of the Right to Development under the Context of Environmental Rights
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Abstract
The right to development is an inalienable human right, but its realization should be balanced by environmental rights. Development leads to environmental problems, and without the intervention of appropriate environmental policies, overall environmental quality is likely to be aggravated or exacerbated with economic growth. If damaged to a certain extent, it would make the development results impossible to enjoy and even lead to the total destruction of all civilizations, including the entire human race. The principle of sustainable development is the only way to implement the right to development for protecting the environment on which humans depend, and includes not only inter-generational equity but also intra-generational equity. Developed and developing countries should cooperate with each other in good faith in economic activities and major environmental issues that are of fundamental interest to humankind regardless of whether there exist relevant legal documents or not, particularly in those economic activities with potentially significant threats to the environment, such as international trade, international investment, the transboundary movement of toxic or hazardous wastes and extremely hazardous activities or significant technological risks. In this regard, the principle of common but differentiated responsibility is a practical model of international cooperation between developed and developing countries to ensure environmental target in development.