Environmental protection is not only a policy choice or a “good to have” benefit - it is a human rights imperative. The right to live in a clean and safe environment is guaranteed in various human rights documents.
Environmental pollution causes around 13% of all deaths in Europe. It plays a major role in illnesses like cancer and heart disease. Harmful environmental pollution may not always be visible or have an immediate impact on health or well-being, but it may nevertheless exist.
At the same time, pollution is an unavoidable side-effect of many activities, such as industrial activities, which contribute to our quality of life. A person would have to live alone on a remote island, far from other people and transportation to be almost completely free from the impact of others. Everywhere else, some level of noise, smell, or pollution must be tolerated. Thus, a State must always strike a balance between these competing interests.
Article 54 of the Constitution of Lithuania guarantees enshrines protection of the environment. The right to live in a clean and safe environment has been recognised by various human rights institutions, such as the International Court of Justice, which strengthens this protection.
Safeguarding a clean and safe environment serves as a fundamental foundation for accessing and exercising all other human rights. This means that other rights can also be affected by environmental harm.
About this section
This Section of the Guide will explain the types of environmental damage (pollution) which you would most commonly encounter and how they can affect your human rights. It will also explain how to participate in decision making about the environment and how to complain if the actions of the State or a private individual or their failure to act has harmed the environment and your rights. You can find out more here about the competent authorities and how to submit a complaint.