The role of international environmental law in achieving Sustainable development Goals

Abstract

The environmental factor lays the foundation for the sustainable development goals. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted at the 70th session of United Nations General Assembly in 2015. This is a 15-year plan in achieving areas of critical importance to humanity consisting of 17 goals. This consist of 169 quantitative and qualitative targets to be achieved nationally and internationally over the span of 15 years. International Envi¬ronmental Law in the other hand is a branch of international law which concerns mainly in controlling pollution and depletion of natural resources with the framework of sustainable development. It covers areas such as population, climate change, biodiversity, toxic and haz¬ardous substances, ozone depletion, sea and transboundary water pollution, conservation of marine resources, etc. The article emphasises the importance of International Environmental Law in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in 2030. Environmental law establishes rights and duties of individuals, communities, and indus¬tries in the use of environmental resources, including the sets of mandatory quality standards, and assigns powers, responsibilities, and liabilities in respect of environmental management. Its main concern is to govern the relationship of man and his environment. Historically, what was originally labeled as natural resources laws are “use-oriented” or designed for the maximum exploitation and development of natural resources as compared to the new envi¬ronmental legislation, which is “resource-oriented” or designed for the rational management and conservation of natural resources to prevent their depletion or degradation.