The Aarhus Convention – Democratic Visions and Climate Justice

On 14 April we were very pleased to welcome Dr. Emily Barritt, Junior Chair Professor at Paris Dauphine University, for an engaging lecture and discussion on the role of the Aarhus Convention in advancing climate justice – particularly in the face of the ‘democratic disruption’ brought about by the climate crisis. 

The Aarhus Convention is an international agreement that affirms the intergenerational right to live in an environment adequate to human health and well-being. As Dr. Barritt explained, the procedural rights that the Convention sets out – the right to access environmental information, the right to participate in environmental decision-making, and the right to access justice in environmental matters – serve the overall objective of the Convention of strengthening environmental democracy.

Dr. Barritt further illustrated how the Convention’s framework offers valuable tools for addressing the climate crisis and related democratic challenges. In particular, she emphasised the balance between the rights of present and future generations, wide access to justice, and the enabling of civil society organisations to actively participate in environmental and climate governance. 

We recorded her presentation and you can view it here. Our thanks to Emily!

Co-organised with the RED-SPINEL Project.