Colombian lawyer Astrid Puentes Riaño, the U.N.’s new Special Rapporteur for Human Rights and the Environment, recently achieved a major victory in a landmark case in Peru that links human rights to environmental protection.
Katie Surma reports for Inside Climate News.
In short:
- Astrid Puentes Riaño led a 20-year legal battle in Peru, resulting in a historic ruling that recognized the human right to a healthy environment.
- The case involved severe lead pollution from a metallurgical complex in La Oroya, impacting children's health and development.
- As the new U.N. Special Rapporteur, Puentes Riaño aims to ensure global adherence to the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.
Key quote:
“I won’t accept that. Why are Peruvian kids worth less than kids in Geneva or other places where such outcomes wouldn’t be tolerated?”
— Astrid Puentes Riaño, U.N. Special Rapporteur for Human Rights and the Environment.
Why this matters:
This landmark ruling emphasizes the critical connection between human health and environmental protection, setting a precedent for holding governments accountable for industrial pollution and promoting global health and environmental justice. Read more: Tracking down a poison: Inside the fight for global action on lead.
