Two significant developments in international law relating to environmental protection have occurred within the past month , according to an opinion piece in The Guardian . On 7 February , the Inter - American court of human rights , an international court in Costa Rica , issued an advisory opinion on the right to a healthy environment . How big, how wide, remains to be seen. The opinion could provide cross - border remedies for those experiencing environmental degradation and could apply to air pollution , chemicals , climate change , and the activities of multinationals . This month , the international court of justice also issued its first order relating to environmental protection in a dispute between different countries .
Two significant developments in international law relating to environmental protection have occurred within the past month , according to an opinion piece in The Guardian . On 7 February , the Inter - American court of human rights , an international court in Costa Rica , issued an advisory opinion on the right to a healthy environment . The opinion could provide cross - border remedies for those experiencing environmental degradation and could apply to air pollution , chemicals , climate change , and the activities of multinationals . This month , the international court of justice also issued its first order relating to environmental protection in a dispute between different countries .