PublicInterestEnvironmentalLawinAsia

Grizelda“Gerthie”Mayo-Anda

© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

OPPORTUNITIES

© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

LinkbetweenHumanRightsandtheEnvironment*

1.  1972StockholmConferenceontheHumanEnvironment2.  GeneralAssemblyResoluEonNo.45/943.  Variouscountry’sConsEtuEonalandLegislaEve

provisionsonenvironmentalrights4.  Tribunals5.  HumanRightsTreaEes*Shelton,D.HumanRightsandtheEnvironment:SubstanEveRights,2011.

© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

HumanRightsandtheEnvironmentSubstan<veRights•  EnvironmentalprotecEonis

essenEaltotheenjoymentoftherightstolife,health,healthfulandbalancedecologyandfamilylife

•  SeparatefrombutinterdependentwiththeproceduralrightsinEnvironmentalLaw

ProceduralRights•  RighttoinformaEon•  RighttoparEcipaEon•  RighttoaccessjusEce•  ProceduralmaUerstoensure

thatdecision-makinghastheinformedinputofthosepotenEallyaffectedbypoliciesandprojectsandforthemtohaveredressforgrievancesorresulEngharm

© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

Substan<veEnvironmentalRightsandNa<onalLaw

•  Morethan90naEonalconsEtuEonsintheworldrecognizenaEonalgovernmentdutytoitsciEzenstopreventharmtotheenvironment.Ofthese,over50recognizetheimportanceofahealthyenvironment,eitherasadutyofthestateorasaright.(KravchenkoandBonine,HumanRightsandtheEnvironment)

•  India:1976amendmenttotheConsEtuEonaddressedenvironmentalquality,inaddiEonto“righttolife”underArEcle21.

© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

SubstanEveEnvironmentalRightsandNaEonalLaw

•  China:RevisedEnvironmentalProtecEonLawin2015resultedinanincreaseinenvironmentalpublicinterestlawsuits

•  Philippines:ConsEtuEonalprovisionon“therightofthepeopletoabalancedandhealthfulecologyinaccordwiththerhythmandharmonyofnature”(ArtII,secEon16)havebeeninterpretedasadutynottodestroytheenvironment(Oposavs.Factoran)

© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

AcEveRoleoftheJudiciary•  SouthAsia:followingtheleadoftheSupremeCourtofIndia,courtsinSouthAsiahavebeenacEveinpublicinterestliEgaEon

-JonaRazzaque,PublicInterestEnvironmentalLiEgaEoninIndia,PakistanandBangladesh(2004);summariesofhundredsofcasescanbefoundinhUp://www.elaw.org/resourcesregional.asp?region=Asia

•  China:SupremePeople’sCourtissuancein2016ofa“WhitePaperonEnvironmentalandNaturalResourcesAdjudicaEon”promoEngpublicinterestenvironmentalliEgaEon

© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

Statutoryprovisionsandothertools•  PrecauEonaryPrinciple•  PolluterPaysPrinciple•  EnvironmentalImpactAssessmentlawsinAsiaofferspotenEalnewtoolsforraisingconsciousnessandtakingintoaccounttheenvironmentalimpactsofregionaltradepolicies,foreigndevelopmentprojects,andothertransnaEonalacEvity.

© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

PHILIPPINESUPREMECOURTRULESOFPROCEDUREFORENVIRONMENTALCASES

© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

ObjecEves1.ProtectandadvancetheconsEtuEonalrightofthepeopletoabalancedandhealthfulecology2.Provideasimple,speedyandinexpensiveprocedurefortheenforcementofenvironmentalrightsandduEes3.IntroduceandadoptinnovaEonsandbestpracEcesensuringeffecEveenforcementofremediesandredressforviolaEonsofenvironmentallaws4.Enablecourtstomonitorandexactcompliancewithordersandjudgmentsinenvironmentalcases

© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

HighlightsoftheRules(1) CiEzenSuits(2) ConsentDecree(3) EnvironmentalProtecEonOrder(4) WritofKalikasan(5) WritofConEnuingMandamus(6) StrategicLawsuitsagainstPublicParEcipaEon

(SLAPP)(7) PrecauEonaryPrinciple

© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

Challenges•  Inadequatenumberofpublicinterestenvironmentallawyers

•  ComplexandnuancedscienEficissuesaccompanyingpublicinterestenvironmentalcases(eg.establishingcausaEonandesEmaEngenvironmentaldamages)

© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

Challenges•  Lackoffinancialresources• Weakgovernance(corrupEon;poliEcalintervenEon)

•  Philippines:CiEzens’lackofknowledgeoftheSupremeCourtRulesofProcedureforEnvironmentalCases(RPEC)

© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

INITIATIVES

© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

Greenpeace,etal.v.EnvironmentalManagementBureauoftheDENREnvironmentalgroupsledbyGreenpeacefiledaWritofKalikasanandWritofConEnuingMandamustoseekthestoppageofthefieldtrialsofthegeneEcally-modifiedBacillusThuringiensis(Bt)eggplantsbeingdoneinvariouspartsofthecountry.

© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

SomeIssues•  ApplicaEonofthelawonenvironmentalimpactstatement/assessmentonprojectsinvolvingtheintroducEonandpropagaEonofGMOsinthecountry

•  Evidenceofdamageorthreatofdamagetohumanhealthandtheenvironmentintwoormoreprovinces,asaresultoftheBttalongfieldtrials

•  NeglectorunlawfulomissioncommiUedbythepublicrespondentsinconnecEonwiththeprocessingandevaluaEonoftheapplicaEonsforBttalongfieldtesEng

•  ApplicaEonoftheprecauEonaryprinciple

© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

SupremeCourtDecision1)permanentlystoppingquesEonedfieldtestsforBttalongandissuanceofnewpermitsongeneEcallymodifiedorganisms(GMOs)2)declaringnullandvoidthe“RulesandRegulaEonsfortheImportaEonandReleaseintotheEnvironmentofPlantsandPlantProductsDerivedfromtheUseofModernBiotechnology”otherwiseknownastheDepartmentofAgricultureOrderNo.08,seriesof2002and,3)temporarilystoppinganyapplicaEonforcontaineduse,fieldtesEng,propagaEonandcommercializaEonandimportaEonofgeneEcallymodifiedorganismsunElanewadministraEveorderispromulgatedinaccordancewiththelaw.

© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

SCDecisiononPrecauEonaryPrincipleAssessingtheevidenceonrecord,aswellasthecurrentstateofGMOresearchworldwide,theCourtfindsallthethreecondi<onspresentinthiscase-uncertainty,thepossibilityofirreversibleharmandthepossibilityofseriousharm.Eggplants(talong)areastaplevegetableinthecountryandgrownbysmall-scalefarmers,majorityofwhomarepoorandmarginalized.Whilethegoalofincreasingcropyieldstoraisefarmincomesislaudable,independentscienEficstudiesrevealeduncertainEesduetounfulfilledeconomicbenefitsfromBtcropsandplants,adverseeffectsontheenvironmentassociatedwithuseofGEtechnologyinagriculture,andserioushealthhazardsfromconsumpEonofGMfoods.Forabiodiversity-richcountrylikethePhilippines,thenaturalandunforeseenconsequencesofcontamina<onandgene<cpollu<onwouldbedisastrousandirreversible.

© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

ResidentMarineMammalsofTanonStraitrepresentedbyNGOs

•  TañonStraitisaprotectedseascapebetweentheislandsofNegrosandCebu,Philippines

•  Residentmarinemammalsarethe“toothedwhales,dolphins,porpoisesandothercetaceanspecies.”

•  CiEzenSuit

© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

INITIATIVE:ResidentMarineMammalsofTanonStraitrepresentedbyNGOs

•  CaseforcerEorari,mandamusandinjuncEonwasfiledtoenjointheDepartmentofEnergy,etal.,fromimplemenEngaservicecontractinvolvingtheexploraEon,development,andexploitaEonofthecountry’spetroleumresourcesinandaroundtheTañonStrait.AmongtheacEviEesallowedin2005weretheconductofaseismicsurveyandoildrilling.

© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

ResidentMarineMammalsofTanonStraitrepresentedbyNGOs

•  ViolaEonoftheNaEonalIntegratedProtectedAreasSystem(NIPAS)Actof1992becauseTañonStraitis,byvirtueofProclamaEonNo.2146,anenvironmentallycriEcalarea.

•  EnvironmentalComplianceCerEficate(ECC)mustbesecuredanerundergoinganEnvironmentalImpactAssessment(EIA)todeterminetheeffectsofsuchacEvityonitsecologicalsystem

© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.

ResidentMarineMammalsofTanonStraitrepresentedbyNGOs

•  CourtnotedthatServiceContract46failedtocomplywiththesafeguardsrequiredunderParagraph4,SecEon2,ArEcleXIIofthe1987ConsEtuEonwhichrequiredthattheservicecontractbe(a)authorizedbyagenerallaw;(b)signedbythePresident,and,(c)reportedtoCongress.

© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.