Environmental Justice Influenced by the Performance of International Non-State Actors

Abstract

Environmental hazards have made human life highly vulnerable and profoundly affected in the contemporary era. The expansion of instrumental power transformed the world into two groups of countries: developed countries and developing countries. Unrestrained development resulting from inequality prompted environmental scholars to establish a new concept of development known as sustainable development. The principal components of sustainable development include attention to the environment, environmental justice, environmental ethics, intergenerational justice, fairness, and the spiritual advancement of human beings. Environmental justice concerns the equitable distribution of environmental risks and benefits among all people, regardless of race, skin color, nationality, or income. On the other hand, globalization processes have led non-state actors to become an inseparable component of global governance. An increasing number of non-state actors participate in various steering and regulatory activities, as can be observed in the field of climate change. These actors have undertaken effective efforts at both international and regional levels toward the formulation, establishment, and monitoring of environmental regulatory obligations, thereby contributing to the expansion and development of environmental justice.