The escalating climate
crisis poses serious threats to the environment and fundamental human rights.
While environmental degradation increasingly affects rights such as life,
health, and property, especially for vulnerable populations, international
legal protection remains somewhat fragmented. This article explores the
recognition of the right to a healthy environment as an autonomous, enforceable
human right. Using a comparative legal method, the article analyses national
and international legislation, judicial practice, and doctrinal developments.
Special attention, among other matters, is devoted to the European Union’s
engagement through instruments like the European Climate Law and the ‘Fit for
55’ package, as well as recent United Nations resolutions affirming
environmental protection as a universal human right. The article assesses
whether this right can evolve from policy aspiration to legal entitlement, and
what implications such recognition holds for states, individuals, and global
governance frameworks. Ultimately, it offers a forward-looking perspective on
the role of law in addressing climate-related human rights challenges.