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1.4. One Planet - One Hope
on their environment. Consequently, actions to mitigate harmful environmental
effects have been necessary across various eras.””
Examining the history of environmental regulation, the 20th century saw
growing evidence of environmental damage, such as the infamous London
smog of 1952, which acted as a warning signal, prompting decision-makers
to respond. The vision of exponential economic growth, population explosion,
and overconsumption painted a particularly grim future. In the early 1970s,
Aurelio Peccei founded the Club of Rome to develop potential world models
and address the question of the limits to growth. Until recent decades, the
world was shaped by three relatively stable, interacting elements: nature,
humanity, and society. Today, a fourth element — technology — is emerging
as a significant component of the human system.
The United Nations’ international environmental conferences, numerous
multilateral treaties and declarations, and the efforts of states over the past
fifty years reflect a concerted effort across political, legal, and economic
spheres to preserve the planet’s natural resources by thinking and acting
globally.*°
The development of environmental law represents an ongoing response to
global changes, serving as a search for solutions. In this process, decision¬
makers seek the most effective tools to protect both human and environmental
health. The emergence of the concept of the Rights of Nature is considered
one such pathway forward.
1.4. One Planet - One Hope
The International Day of Mother Earth, widely recognized, acknowledges
the collective responsibility outlined in the 1992 Rio Declaration to promote
harmony with nature and the Earth and to achieve a just balance among the
economic, social, and environmental needs of present and future generations.
In 2009, the United Nations General Assembly designated April 22 as
International Mother Earth Day through Resolution A/RES/63/278.
Introduced by Bolivia and supported by over 50 member states, the resolution
recognizes that “the Earth and its ecosystems are our home” and emphasizes
the need to foster harmony with nature to meet the environmental needs of
current and future generations in an economically and socially just manner.
This initiative draws global attention to the challenges facing the planet’s
well-being and the life it supports. In December 2010, the General Assembly
# See, Gyula Bandi, Kérnyexzetjog [Environmental Law] (Budapest: Szent István Társulat, 2022),
14; Ludwig Kramer, European Environmental Law: A Comparative Perspective (London:
Routledge, 2003), https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315255958.
UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), https://www.unep.org/.
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