Introduction to Environment and

Environment Audit

Nameeta Prasad,

Director,

iCED Jaipur

Session plan

1.What is environment

2. Global trends & concerns related to environment

3.Sustainable development

4.Multilateral environmental Accords (MEAs)

5.Compliance framework for environment audit

6.Understanding environment audit

What is Environment

• Surroundings in which an organization operates

– Includes air, water, land, natural resources, flora,

fauna, humans and their interrelation

• The complex of physical, chemical, and biotic

factors (as climate, soil, and living things) that

act upon an organism/ecological community &

ultimately determines its form and survival

Components of environment

Abiotic factors

Concern about environment

• Unsustainable use of resources for development has led to:

Environment degradation

Increase in levels of pollution

Deforestation

Loss of biodiversity

Climate change

Altered weather patterns

More extremes in weather like storms,

droughts etc

Environment degradation

• As Gandhiji put it “There is a sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's greed”

When nature's resources are being consumed faster than nature can replenish them

When pollution results in irreparable damage to the environment

When human beings destroy or damage ecosystems in the process of development

Environment degradation occurs:

Environment degradation

• Reduces the adaptive capacity of societies to

deal with disaster

• Theoretically, the long term result of

environmental degradation would result in local

environments that are no longer able to sustain

human populations to any degree – Such degradation on a global scale would, if not addressed, of

course mean extinction for humanity

Further readings

• http://www.unep.org/

• World Risk Report, 2012

• http://unfccc.int/2860.php

• http://www.earthtimes.org/

• http://www.iucn.org/

• http://wwf.panda.org/

• Living Planet report 2014

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL TRENDS &

CONCERNS

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10

Important Environmental Issues

• Loss of biodiversity– Destruction of Forests

– Destruction of other habitats

• Decrease in Water availability

• Dumping of waste & pollution of water & land resources

• Climate Change– Air pollution

• Rise in environment crimes

Loss of Biodiversity

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Loss of Biodiversity

• Fewer than 10 % of the world’s described species

have thus far been assessed to determine their

conservation status

– Out of these, over 16 000 species have been identified as

threatened

• Rates of species extinction are 100 times higher than

baseline rate shown in fossil records

– Some 10-30% of the mammal, bird and amphibian species

threatened with extinction, due to human actions

– Number of endangered species in India accounts for

around 8.86 % of the world`s mammals

Destruction of Forests

14

Destruction of Forests

Forests currently cover about 4 billion hectares

- 31 % of Earth’s land surface

Over past 50 years, about half the world's original forest cover has

been lost

• In India, State of Forest report recorded a loss of 367 square km in

the last 2 years

– Quality of forest cover/ productivity from forest areas declined, due to biotic

pressure like grazing, human interference, habitat fragmentation, forest fires

etc

– Some increase in forest cover attributed to plantations /limited harvesting of

timber

– 70 % of Earth’s land animals and plants live in forests, and many cannot

survive the deforestation that destroys their habitat

Destruction of other habitats

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Destruction of other habitats

• Habitat destruction is currently ranked as the primary cause of species extinction worldwide

• Marine habitat: most at threat

– About 1/3 of all coral reefs are expected to vanish in the next 30 years

– More than ¼ sea grass meadows lost in the past 130 years which shelter turtles, provide fodder for fishes etc.

• Freshwater habitats

– essential for human survival, providing the majority of people's drinking water.

– home to more than 40 % of the world's fish species

– More than 20 % of the 10,000 known freshwater fish species have become extinct or imperilled in recent decades

Decrease in Water availability

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Decrease in Water availability

• Available freshwater resources continue to decline. Reasons:

– Excessive withdrawal of surface & groundwater

– Use of freshwater for agriculture, industry and energy increased

markedly over the last 50 years

– Human water use exceeds the average annual natural water

replenishment in many parts of the world

• In India: per capita availability 1545 cubic m (2011)

• Reducing progressively due to increase in population

– Total water availability/capita expected to decline to 1,240 cubic m/

person/year by 2030

– Perilously close to the 1,000 cubic m benchmark set by World Bank

as “water scarce”

Water- and Population Allocation

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Dumping of waste & pollution of water &

land resources

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Dumping of waste

• Most waste from cities and industries dumped on land and in

freshwater ecosystems

– Leads to land degradation, pollution of rivers/lakes and ground

water

– Specific problem is leachate

• Medical waste, household waste, industrial waste assuming

unmanageable proportions

– Also driven by consumption patterns and production processes

• E-waste emerging as a major source of pollutants

• Waste from agriculture contaminates land as well as water sources

– Hospital waste a source of infection

– Illegal dumping of waste has direct repercussions on human

health

Water pollution

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Water Pollution

• Water pollution & degradation of aquatic ecosystems directly

affect human health

– sanitation facilities, improper wastewater disposal Contaminated water

remains the greatest cause of sickness and death

– 3 million people die of water-related diseases every year in developing

countries, mostly children under five

• In India almost 70 % of surface water and large % of

groundwater contaminated by biological, toxic, organic and

inorganic pollutants

– India’s rivers receive millions of liters of sewage, industrial and

agricultural wastes

– Lakes and reservoirs all over the country also in varying degrees of

environmental degradation

Pollution of Marine & Coastal Areas

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Pollution of Marine & Coastal Areas

• Over 80% of marine pollution comes from land-based

activities

• Globally, sewage remains the largest source of

contamination, by volume, of the marine and coastal

environment and coastal sewage discharges have

increased dramatically in the past three decades

• Marine and coastal eutrophication from elevated nitrogen

inputs has emerged as a worrying trend not foreseen

three decades ago

– High levels of mercury in tuna and swordfish have been shown to

have natural sources

Climate change

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Climate change

• Earth's average temperature has risen by 1.4°F over the

past century

– Projected to rise another 2 to 11.5°F over the next hundred years

– Small changes in the average temperature of the planet can

translate to large and potentially dangerous shifts in climate and

weather

– Rising global temperatures have been accompanied by changes

in weather and climate

Climate change

– Many places have seen changes in rainfall, resulting in more

floods, droughts, or intense rain, as well as more frequent and

severe heat waves

– The planet's oceans and glaciers have also experienced some big

changes - oceans are warming and becoming more acidic, ice

caps are melting, and sea levels are rising.

• There is a strong scientific consensus that the global

climate is changing and that human activity contributes

significantly

Direct observations of recent climate changeChanges in temperature, sea level and

northern hemisphere snow cover

Global average temperature

Global average sea level

Northern hemisphere snow cover

Example of Impacts in India

• Sea level rise in Tamil Nadu

– 1 m rise => 1000 Km sq

– Replacement cost of

infrastructure = Rs. 50000cr

• Apple cultivation in Himachal

Pradesh

– Apple yields declining at low

altitudes, increasing at high

altitudes

Source: INCCA,

2010

Effects of climate change

• Some ecosystems are highly vulnerable:

• Coral reefs, marine shell organisms

• Tundra, boreal forests, mountain and Mediterranean regions

• 20-30% of plant and animal species at risk of extinction

• Some regions will be more affected than others:

• The Arctic (ice sheet loss, ecosystem changes)

• Sub-Saharan Africa (water stress, reduced crops)

• Small islands (coastal erosion, inundation)

• Asian mega-deltas (flooding from sea and rivers)

Air pollution

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Air pollution

• Pollutants of major public health concern include

particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen

dioxide and sulfur dioxide.

– Outdoor and indoor air pollution cause respiratory and other

diseases, which can be fatal

– Fifth leading cause of death in India

– Nearly 2 million people die prematurely from illness

attributable to indoor air pollution from household solid fuel

use.

Environment crimes

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Environment crimes

• Rise in demand for wildlife products like orchids, rhino

horns, corals, tiger skin and claws, ivory etc

• Not restricted by borders, and can affect a nation’s

economy, security and even its existence

– Serious and growing international problem

– 22 rhinos poached in Kaziranga National Park in 2012

– In 2012, the number of elephants killed in Africa numbered more

than tens of thousands

Major environmental concerns in

India

• Incomplete treatment of Municipal Waste water causing land and water

pollution

• Lack of safe disposal of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) – water pollution

• Fly Ash Management– air pollution

• Lack of safe disposal of hazardous Waste Management– water and land

pollution

• Lack of safe disposal of Bio Medical Waste Management– water pollution

• Lack of E-Waste Management– air and water pollution

• Presence of Hazardous Air Pollutants in Chemical Industry Zone– land and

water pollution

• Pollution From Small Scale Industries– water pollution

• Vehicular Pollution in Urban Areas– air pollution

Response to environment threats:

concept of sustainable development

• In response to global threats to environment, the concept

of Sustainable development was evolved in 1983 by the

World Commission on Environment and Development

(WCED)

• ‘sustainable development’ means development that

‘meets the needs of the present without compromising the

ability of future generations to meet their own needs’

– Recognizes the need for a balance or trade-off between

economics, social progress and environment

– Does not focus solely on environmental issues

3 pillars of Sustainable Development

Environment

Social factors

Sustainable developmen

t

policy

Economic factors

International efforts

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, better known as the Earth Summit , held in Rio in June 1992

– Milestone event, focused world's attention on environmental & development problems

– Brought together 172 nations, 108 heads of state, 1400 non-governmental organisations (NGO’s), and about 8000 journalists

– Objective of preparing the world for attaining the long-term goals of sustainable development

• Agenda 21, the world's plan of action for sustainable development, adopted by the international community at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio

– Landmark achievement, incorporating environmental, economic and social concerns into a single framework

International efforts

• Ten years later, the international community came together

once again at the World Summit on Sustainable

Development in Johannesburg in 2002

– Objective was to review the developments of the past decade & to

forge a cohesive global partnerships to achieve a comprehensive

implementation of Agenda 21

• The Commission on Sustainable Development also known

as CSD created in December 1992 to ensure effective follow-

up of the 1992 Earth Summit

• Rio +20 conference organised in June 2012

– Objective is to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable

development, assess the progress to date and the remaining gaps in

implementation

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Some International Treaties

1. Convention on Biological Diversity, signed on 05/06/1992, ratified byIndia 18/2/1994

2. Convention to Combat Desertification - signed on 14/10/1994,ratified by India on 17/12/1996,

3. Cartagena Protocol on Bio-safety- signed on 23/01/200, ratified byIndia on 11/9/2003

4. The Basel Convention on the Control of Trans-boundaryMovements of Hazardous Wastes – signed on 16/4/1990, ratifiedby India 24/6/1992

5. Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention onClimate Change - signed by India10/8/1992, ratified on 1/11/93

6. Ramsar Convention on Wetlands – Ratified by India 10/10/1981

7. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of WildFauna and Flora (CITES) – Ratified by India on 20/7/1976

Why MEAs?

• Growing understanding that environmental issues are

often regional and global and that solutions and tools to

deal with them should also be regional and global

– Environment problems are trans-national– eg: water pollution,

air pollution

– Action by one country affects neighbors

• A response to the gravity of environmental problems

• The United Nations Conference on the Human

Environment (the Stockholm Conference) 1st major UN

conference on environment issues (1972)

MEAs: Biodiversity

• The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (1975)

– to promote the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through

local, regional, and national actions and international cooperation,

as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development

worldwide

– India ratified in February,1982

• 26 Ramsar sites in India; eg: Chilika, Ashtamudi, Bhoj,

Chandertal

• National Wetland Conservation Programme (NWCP)

– Operated in cooperation with state government

– 115 wetlands identified for urgent conservation and management

initiatives

MEAs: Biodiversity

• Convention on Trade of Endangered Species, 1975 (CITES)

– To ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does

not threaten their survival

– Imposes a duty on Parties to subject international trade in specimens of

selected species to certain controls via licensing of import, export, re-export,

and introduction from the sea of species

– India ratified it in 1977

– CITES cell set up in India in 2010

• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and Export- Import Policy

implement CITES

– Species covered by CITES listed in three Appendices 1 to III of Act, according

to the degree of protection they need

– About 300 Indian animal and 40 Indian plant species in various CITES

appendices

MEAs: Biodiversity

• Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992

– aims at conserving biological diversity, the sustainable use of its

components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits

arising out of the utilization of genetic resources, taking into

account all rights over those resources

– Ratified by India in 1994

– To implement this, India introduced Biological Diversity Act, 2002

– Set up National Biodiversity Authority, State Biodiversity Authority

MEAs: Biodiversity

• Other important conventions

– Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild

Animals, 1979

– International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994

– Convention to Combat Desertification, 1994

– Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and

Natural Heritage, 1972

MEAs: Climate Change

• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Change, 1992

– aims at achieving stabilization of GHGs concentrations in the

atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous

anthropogenic interference with climate by setting emission

limits to be accomplished within a determined timeframe

– India ratified in 1993

– National Action Plan on Climate Change, 2008

• 8 sectors identified for mitigation and adaptation measures

– State level Action Plans: Delhi, Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan,

Sikkim, MP, Mizoram, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, WB, Assam,

Meghalaya, Odisha

MEAs: Climate Change

• Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone

Layer, 1987

• Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, 1985

• Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on

Climate Change, 1997

MEAs– Hazardous Materials/Waste/ Chemical-

related

• Convention on the Control of Trans-boundary Movements of

Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (Basel Convention,

1989)

– to ensure that management of hazardous wastes is consistent with

protection of human health & environment whatever the place of disposal

• reduction of hazardous waste generation and the promotion of environmentally sound

management of hazardous wastes, wherever the place of disposal;

• the restriction of trans-boundary movements of hazardous wastes except where it is

perceived to be in accordance with the principles of environmentally sound management;

and

• a regulatory system applying to cases where trans-boundary movements are permissible

– India ratified in 1992

– framed The Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling and Trans-

boundary Movement) Rules,2009, to implement Basel Convention

MEAs– Hazardous Materials/Waste/ Chemical-

related

• Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for

Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides on

International Trade, Rotterdam Convention,1998)

– aims at promoting shared responsibility and cooperative efforts among

Parties in the international trade of certain hazardous chemicals in order

to protect human health and the environment from potential harm and to

contribute to their environmentally-sound use

– It is based on the fundamental principle of Prior Informed Consent (PIC)

– a chemical listed in the Convention may only be exported with the

importer's prior consent

– Annex I, II and III

– India ratified in 2005

Others

• Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, 2001

• Protocol on Biosafety 2000

MEAs: Marine and freshwater

• United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982

– establishes national sovereignty over marine resources lying

within coastal waters and aims to provide countries with incentive

to better manage these resources, by obligating Parties to protect

and preserve the marine environment

– India ratified in 1995

• The MARPOL Convention for the Prevention of Pollution

from Ships, 1978

– Main international convention covering prevention of pollution of

marine environment by ships from operational or accidental

causes

Understanding environment audit

What is Environment Audit

• Environmental audit is a general term that can reflect various

types or evaluations intended to identify environmental

compliance and whether there are any implementation gaps

relating to environment issues, along with related corrective

actions

– Evaluations based on criteria which may be local, national or global

environmental standards

– Thus it is a systematic process of obtaining and evaluating information about

the environmental aspects

• Assessment of whether an organization/programme is

following rules and regulations related to environment and

meeting its objective of preserving an conserving environment

Environment auditing: INCOSAI

• At the XV INCOSAI in Cairo in 1995, environmental audit

(EA) emerged, for the first time, as a major congress

theme

– Provided an overall framework for EA and incorporated

sustainable development into governmental policies and

programs subject to audit

• 15th INCOSAI in Cairo (1995) adopted a Framework

definition of ‘environmental auditing’

Environment auditing

• Basic principles underlying this definition are:– Environment auditing is not significantly different from normal

auditing as practiced by SAIs

– Environment auditing can encompass all types of audit:

financial, compliance, and performance audits

• With respect to performance audits, the three E’s of Economy,

Effectiveness, and Efficiency can be included. (The adoption of the fourth

E, that is Environment, depends very much on a SAIs mandate and its

government’s environmental policy

– The concept of sustainable development can be part of the

definition

Environment audit – Need for it

• Resources spent by the government on environment

conservation and protection have grown exponentially

• Rethinking of the role and responsibilities of both governments

in light of evidence of environment degradation

• Global awareness of environmental issues has also grown

rapidly

– More scientific knowledge and interest in environment issues like

ozone depletion, the destruction of rain forests, and global warming.

• Some of the crucial changes to have taken place are:

– Expansion of environmental regulation by state and local authorities

– Increasing cost of environmental protection for both the private and

public sectors

Environment audit – Need for it

– Resources spent by both sectors on pollution control have

increased, and both businesses and government bodies are

looking for more cost-effective ways of dealing with compliance

issues.

– Environmental awareness among financial institutions

• Following the UN Conference on the Environment in Rio ,

governments and corporations around the world shown more concern

about sustainable development

• Increasing concern that organisations affecting the environment

should be accountable for their actions

– Implications for SAIs as public auditors

Environmental Auditing framework

Regularity audit

• Compliance audit

• Financial audit Performance audit

Environment Auditing is the 4th E

Types of performance audits on

Environmental issues

Audits of the performance of Government environmental programmes

Audits of Government monitoring of compliance with environmental laws

Audits of the environmental impact of other Government programmes

Audits of environmental management systems

Environmental assessment of proposed environmental policies and programmes

INTOSAI Guidelines: environment audit

• How do auditors fit in?– Is the government complying with international environmental

treaty obligations, domestic environmental laws and regulations and government policies and programs?

– Is government meeting environmental performance targets it has set for itself, and what results has it achieved?

– Is government controlling environmental risks from its own operations?

– Has government put in place an effective accountabilityframework for its environmental policies and programs?

– Do financial statements properly reflect environmental costs,liabilities (including contingent liabilities) and assets?

– Is organization spending money in accordance with financialrules and regulations concerning environmental issues?

SAI India 63

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Framework for environment protection in India

• Article 246 of the Constitution of India

– 3 Lists of the subjects in the 7th Schedule of the Constitution

– List –I: Union List

• Defense, P & T, Foreign Affairs, citizenship, Railways, Banking,Census, UPSC etc.

– List- II: State List

• Law & Order, Public health & sanitation, Agriculture, Land, Water,fisheries etc

– List – III Concurrent List

• Criminal Law and procedure, marriage and divorce, Contracts,forests, protection of wild life, economic-social planning factories etc.

Framework for environment protection in

India

• Article 48 A & Article 51 added to the Constitution of

India through 42nd Amendment Act, 1976, after the U.N.

Conference of Human Environment held in Stockholm in

1972

– Article 48 A : Added to the part IV, directive principles of the State

Policy which reads as follows- “The States shall endeavor to

protect and improve the environment to safeguard the forests and

wild life of the country”.

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Framework for environment protection in

India

– Article 51 A Enumerates the fundamental duties of a citizen of

India which include the duty to protect and improve the natural

environment including forests, compassion for living creatures.

• Subjects like forests, population control, family planning

were transferred from State list to the concurrent list by

the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976.

• Environment subjects like

– land, agriculture, fisheries, water and health sanitation still in the

State list

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Framework for environment protection in

India

• At central level

– Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) is the nodal agency in

the administrative structure of the Central Government, for the

planning, promotion, co-ordination and overseeing the

implementation of environmental and forestry programmes

• At state level

– Department of environment and forests in every state

• MoEF frames policy for protection and conservation of

environment and is implemented by the states

– States also have power to frame own legislation for protection of

environment

Framework for environment protection in

India

• Ministry at federal level, departments at state level

• Policies– National Conservation Strategy and Policy Statement on Environment and

Development, 1992

– Policy Statement for the Abatement of pollution, 1992

– National Environment Policy, 2006

• Acts– Environment Protection Act, 1986

– The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974

– The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981 amended 1987

– The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972

– Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, amended 1988

– Biological Diversity Act, 2002

• Rules– Municipal Solid Waste (Handling and Disposal) Rules

– Bio-medical waste (Handling and Disposal ) Rules

National Environment Policy, 2006

• NEP 2006 response to commitment to a clean

environment, mandated in the Constitution in Articles 48

A and 51 A (g), strengthened by judicial interpretation of

Article 21

– maintaining a healthy environment is not the state's responsibility

alone, but also that of every citizen.

– spirit of partnership should be realized throughout the spectrum

of environmental management in the country.

– state to galvanize its efforts, and there should also be

recognition by each individual - natural or institutional, of its

responsibility towards maintaining and enhancing the quality of

the environment

EPA, 1986

• Act provides for the protection and improvement of the environment

• comprehensive act which covers air, water, land, human beings and

living creatures, plants, micro organisms, property, and the

interrelationship of all these

• Central government has the power to take measures for protection

and improvement of the environment and preventing, controlling and

abating pollution

– central government to lay down standards for the quality of the

environment

– Wide powers to control pollution and levy penalty for pollution

– Environment labs set up to monitor levels of pollution

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The Water (Prevention and Control of

Pollution) Act, 1974

• Objectives

– prevent and control water pollution and maintain

wholesomeness of water

– establish control on State Boards for prevention and control

of pollution

– empower the Boards for prevention/control of pollution

– To provide penalties for contravention of the provisions of

the Act

– To establish control on state water testing laboratories

• Set up Central/State pollution control Boards to control

pollution

The Air (Prevention and Control of

Pollution) Act, 1981

• Provides for the prevention, control and abatement of

air pollution.

• Further rules were added in 1982 and 1983

– The state governments/consultation with the Board to

declare air pollution control areas

– control of emission from automobiles

– restricts certain industries on the basis of air pollution

– declares the level of air pollutants as per standards

– Gives power to PCBs to enter and inspect the factory

The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972,

amended 1993

• enacted with the objective of effectively protecting the

wild life of this country and to control poaching, smuggling

and illegal trade in wildlife and its derivatives

– The objective is to provide protection to the listed endangered

flora and fauna and ecologically important protected areas.

Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980

• Aims to help conserve the country’s forests

– Strictly restricts and regulates the de-reservation of forests or

use of forest land for non-forest purposes without the prior

approval of Central Government

– To this end the Act lays down the pre-requisites for the diversion

of forest land for non-forest purposes

Biological Diversity Act, 2002

• Act born out of India's attempt to realise objectives enshrined in the

United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD),1992

which recognizes the sovereign rights of states to use their own

Biological Resources

• The Act aims at the conservation of biological resources and

associated knowledge as well as facilitating access to them in a

sustainable manner and through a just process

– For purposes of implementing the objects of the Act it

establishes the National Biodiversity Authority in Chennai.

The Municipal Solid Wastes (Management

and Handling) Rules, 2000

• Applicable to every municipal authority

– responsible for collection, segregation, storage, transportation, processing and

disposal of household waste/MSW

• A typical waste management system includes the following elements:

– Waste generation and storage

– Segregation, reuse, and recycling at the household level

– Primary waste collection and transport to a transfer station or community bin

– Street sweeping and cleansing of public places

– Management of the transfer station or community bin

– Secondary collection and transport to the waste disposal site

– Waste disposal in landfills

• But in most of the Indian cities , waste does not get collected and

segregated and open dumping is a common practices which adversely

affects environment and Public health

The Bio-Medical Waste (Management

and Handling) Rules, 1998

• To control the indiscriminate disposal of hospital

waste/bio medical waste

– Rules apply to hospitals, Nursing Homes, Veterinary Hospitals,

Animal Houses, Pathological labs & blood banks, generating

hospital wastes

– Every occupier generating the bio-medical waste need to install

an appropriate facility in the premises or set up a common facility

to ensure requisite treatment of waste by 30.6.2000 in

accordance with the kinds of waste generated (human tissue,

drugs, hospital sharps etc) and in compliance with standards.

Role of judiciary in environment

protection

• Article 21 also includes right to pollution free environment

• Sustainable development concept introduced

• Introduced concept of “The Precautionary Principle" and

"The Polluter Pays principle

• Public trust doctrine

• Expanded the definition of forests to stop illegal felling

• Role in forcing executive to stop dumping of waste and

restore wholesomeness of water, control environmental

pollution etc.

Thank you