Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 October 2025
Chapter 2 presents a detailed rationale for expanding international human rights law to protect the environmental rights of future generations. It draws on various theories of intergenerational responsibility, including the work of Edith Brown Weiss and theories of intergenerational equity, planetary trusts and the capabilities approach. The chapter also considers various Indigenous worldviews, such as the Seventh Generation principle of First Nations peoples in North America and the beliefs of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, which embody a strong sense of intergenerational responsibility. The deep feeling of connection with ancestors and descendants that is held by many Indigenous peoples translates into notions of custodianship towards the land and obligation to people across time. These worldviews have much to offer as we think about the future direction of human rights law, and provide another justification for making the law more responsive to future environmental threats.
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