ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE THROUGH CONVENTION ON BIODIVERSITY

(CBD) : A CRITICAL STUDY

The concept of environmental justice has for a considerable period of time been the focus of
commentary on an extensive scale worldwide. During the 1970s and 1980s the awareness of
biodiversity loss rose dramatically amongst policy-makers and the public, initiated by the 1972
Stockholm Conference on the Environment. A series of working group meetings was convened
culminating in the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, where the Convention on Biological
Diversity was adopted.

This paper will discuss the Convention on Bio Diversity it and will explain how is affecting
environmental justice. Further dimensions of the Convention on Biodiversity such as Nagoya
Protocol for the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic
resources and Cartagena Protocol on Bio safety for ensuring the safe transfer, handling and use
of living modified organisms (LMOs) created through modern biotechnology will be discussed.
A further attempt has been made to discuss implementation of CBD in India through the
Biological Diversity Act, 2002 along with the serious loopholes in the given act and the role of
National Green Tribunal in dispute resolution.

Key Words: biodiversity, environmental justice, Convention on Biological Diversity, Nagoya

Protocol, Cartagena Protocol, Biological Diversity Act, 2002.