PROPOSAL

On June 3rd and 4th, Strasbourg will host the First European Forum on Environmental Human Rights Defenders, which will provide an opportunity to support the adoption of an autonomous convention on the right to a healthy environment by the member states of the Council of Europe.

As the Council of Europe lags behind on environmental issues, by signing this petition you are calling on member states to reaffirm their commitment to the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, by advocating from now on for the creation of an autonomous convention at the local and regional level. 

An autonomous convention is a legally binding instrument. Its adoption would pave the way for stronger environmental legislation across different countries and encourage the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to adopt a more protective approach to the right of current and future generations to live in an viable and decent environment, one that protects their health, development and well-being.
In other words, this right would be defended directly, without having to prove a prior infringement of a third-party interest, such as health or property rights.

CONTEXT

The Council of Europe of Local and Regional Authorities is based in Strasbourg and brings together 46 member states, representing 700 million citizens. Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Strasbourg, the Council of Europe is the continent’s leading human rights organisation. 

The Council of Europe rests on three inseparable pillars: 

• Human Rights and the protection of the dignity and fundamental freedoms of every individual (via the European Convention on Human Rights – ECHR).
• Democracy and the guarantee of citizen participation, freedom of expression and political pluralism.
• The Rule of Law and the assurance that the law applies to everyone equally and that justice is independent.

THE URGENCY OF THIS PETITION AT A DECISIVE TURNING POINT IN OUR CLIMATE HISTORY

Last March, an alarming signal was sent when several member states of the Council of Europe rejected the draft additional protocol to the European Charter of Local Self-Government regarding the environment (report CG(2025)49-11), which followed Recommendation 536. Yet this text represents the essential continuation of our global climate commitments to guarantee citizens healthy and dignified living conditions for all citizens. 

The European Charter of Local Self-Government is the reference international treaty defining the fundamental principles of local democracy in Europe. When it comes to environmental matters, our local municipalities and authorities are at the forefront of environmental issues, taking care of green spaces, water, air and urban planning – all of which have direct impact on our health and quality of life.

However, the current legal framework is too weak to meet the urgency of the climate crisis, and the European Court of Human Rights is often forced to rule through "indirect" rights, such as the right to respect for private life under Article 8. (Resolution 2396 (2021), art. 5).

The landmark "KlimaSeniorinnen" ruling of April 2024 by the European Court of Human Rights marks an important step towards the recognition of the right to a healthy environment. However, without a solid, autonomous legal basis dedicated to this right, this victory against climate inaction will remain fragile and open to challenge. 

THE MOMENTUM FOR CHANGE IS REAL AND GROWING

• On September 29, 2021, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted Resolution 2396, "Anchoring the right to a healthy environment: the need for enhanced action by the Council of Europe," in favor of recognizing this right.
• In 2023, the Global Coalition for the Right to a Healthy Environment received the United Nations Human Rights Prize.
• By adopting the Reykjavik Declaration in 2023, the member states of the Council of Europe acknowledged that the right to a healthy environment was enshrined in various ways in several member states’ constitutions, and that the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment was increasingly recognised, notably in international instruments, regional human rights instruments, constitutions, legislation and national policies. It would therefore be a natural next step to adopt a legally binding instrument at the level of the Council of Europe, so that this right is recognised by all member states.
• In his 2025 activity report, the Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty made the implementation of the "KlimaSeniorinnen" ruling a top priority.
• In September 2025, the Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) supported the draft Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law, which is set to become the "first legally binding international instrument addressing environmental crime."
• Since January 2026, a group of member states has been supporting the recognition of the right to a healthy environment and the adoption of an autonomous convention. However, many member states of the Council of Europe continue to oppose the adoption of such a convention, despite their commitments. 

To overcome this opposition and anchor this commitment once and for all, civil society, and younger generations in particular, must demonstrate massive support for the adoption of an autonomous convention on the right to a healthy environment before June 3rd and 4th, 2026.

Abandoning this autonomous convention would be fatal, as it would jeopardize years of environmental diplomacy within the Council of Europe and weaken the independence of the European Court of Human Rights, which is already under significant attack.

EVIDENCE THAT ADAPTATION WORKS (CITIES AND RURAL TERRITORIES)

Local action is not a utopia, it is a measurable reality that protects people and our ecosystems:

In urban areas: In Île-de-France, transformations such as bike lanes and "oasis courtyards" have reduced car traffic by 44% over twenty years. In Valencia (Spain), the urban park network lowers local temperatures by 3 to 4°C during heatwaves. Other sustainable development initiatives – on air quality, sustainable urban planning and transport – demonstrate a positive and equitable impact on the entire population concerned, including the most vulnerable groups.

In rural areas (e.g., "Biovallées" in the Drôme Valley and resilient territories): 

Water Management: In certain committed rural areas, the restoration of wetlands has reduced flood-related costs and damage while preserving groundwater during droughts. 

Biodiversity and Agriculture: Rural municipalities that have established local green and blue belt corridors are seeing a 24% increase in pollinating insects, securing local food supplies and agricultural yields. 

Local Energy: Villages across Europe now produce 100% of their energy through local cooperatives, proving that local autonomy strengthens resilience against global economic shocks. 

OUR DEMANDS FOR AN AUTONOMOUS CONVENTION

We, as citizens, call on the member states of the Council of Europe to uphold and strengthen their commitment by swiftly adopting an autonomous convention aimed at:

• Empowering local and regional authorities by granting them the operational, strategic, and legal competences, as well as the financial means, to take concrete action for a healthy environment.
• Providing a clear and standalone legal foundation for the ECHR: strengthening environmental protection in legal texts to secure future case law that recognises the subject as a fundamental human right, as is already the case globally through various agreements and regional frameworks.
• Protecting future generations: enshrining the duty of climate vigilance in the spirit of Article 8, and taking responsibility for acting in favour of a livable present and future, so as to guarantee the foundation of the right to respect for private and family life, the home and correspondence.