Clean environment is a human right, UN council agrees

Human rights council also appoints special rapporteur to monitor impact of climate crisis on rights

The UN's main human rights body has overwhelmingly voted to recognise the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a human right, and to appoint an expert to monitor human rights in the context of the climate emergency.

The human rights council passed the clean-environment resolution, which also calls on countries to boost their abilities to improve the environment, by 43-0 while four member states - China, India, Japan and Russia - abstained.