Impact of Unilateral Illegal Sanctions on the Right to a Healthy and Sustainable Environment
Introduction
The right to a healthy and sustainable environment has increasingly been recognized as a fundamental human right by international human rights mechanisms and a prerequisite for the realization of a wide range of other human rights, including the rights to life, health, food, water, and an adequate standard of living. The Human Rights Council has reaffirmed that environmental degradation and climate change constitute major threats to the enjoyment of human rights and that unilateral measures that undermine environmental protection can result in violations of States’ human rights obligations (Human Rights Council resolutions on human rights and the environment).
Despite this, unilateral coercive measures (UCMs)—often justified as political or security measures—can impede States’ capacity to protect and sustainably manage their environment. These sanctions frequently restrict access to essential technologies, financial resources, environmental cooperation, and international best practices necessary to mitigate pollution, conserve biodiversity, and adapt to climate change. The resulting ecological impacts can undermine the enjoyment of the right to a healthy environment, particularly for vulnerable populations.
Negative Impacts of Unilateral Sanctions on the Right to a Healthy and Sustainable Environment
- Restricted Access to Environmental Technology and Sustainable Practices
Unilateral sanctions commonly include financial restrictions and trade barriers that limit access to modern environmental technologies, equipment, and know-how essential for pollution control, environmental monitoring, renewable energy deployment, and sustainable resource management. Environmental law principles—such as the duty to prevent transboundary harm and the obligation to adopt sustainable development measures—are impeded when States cannot acquire advanced technologies or technical cooperation due to sanctions.
For example, sanctions on financial interactions with Iran have limited the country’s ability to access advanced technologies for air quality monitoring, fuel efficiency, and environmental data collection, contributing to persistent air pollution challenges in urban centers. This restriction on technology transfer undermines environmental governance and the capacity to implement internationally recognized environmental standards.
- Increased Pollution and Environmental Degradation
Environmental law recognizes the interdependence between environmental quality and human health. Sanctions that restrict access to cleaner technologies or the replacement of obsolete infrastructure can result in heightened pollution levels, with adverse effects on ecosystems and human wellbeing. In the context of Iran, analysts have noted that sanctions have contributed to prolonged reliance on older vehicles with inefficient fuel use, increased emissions, and worsened air quality, exacerbating respiratory illnesses and environmental health risks for the population.
The inability to modernize energy and transportation sectors due to financial and trade constraints can impede transitions to cleaner fuels and sustainable mobility, directly affecting the right to a healthy environment and associated rights to health and life.
- Blocked International Environmental Cooperation and Aid
Unilateral sanctions also limit participation in international environmental cooperation and access to environmental assistance programs. International environmental agreements and mechanisms often involve technology transfer, capacity-building, and financial support that help States address climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainable resource management. When a country is cut off from international funding channels or discouraged from engaging with international partners due to fear of sanctions penalties, essential environmental programs can be delayed or abandoned.
For instance, restrictions on accessing international financial resources and partnerships have been cited by officials as obstacles for Iran in meeting its climate commitments and participating fully in multilateral environmental processes.
- Exacerbation of Environmental Crises Through Economic Pressure
Economic sanctions can lead to currency devaluation, limited public revenue, and redirected national priorities, which may reduce investment in environmental protection and sustainable infrastructure. This economic strain can compel States to rely more heavily on natural resource exploitation or environmentally harmful practices to maintain basic economic functions, thereby degrading ecosystems and biodiversity.
- Impediments to Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation
The Paris Agreement and other international climate frameworks emphasize the need for technology transfer, climate finance, and cooperative action to address global climate challenges. Unilateral sanctions that sever access to international climate finance mechanisms, renewable energy technologies, and joint research opportunities impede States’ capacity to adapt to the impacts of climate change.
Iranian diplomats and representatives have highlighted that unilateral sanctions hinder renewable energy investment, limit access to environmentally sound technologies, and constrain joint environmental research, thereby negatively affecting efforts to combat climate change and its environmental consequences.
Conclusion
Unilateral illegal sanctions, as implemented in many contexts, present significant barriers to the realization of the human right to a healthy and sustainable environment. By restricting access to technology, cooperation, finance, and sustainable practices, such sanctions can perpetuate pollution, degrade ecosystems, and undermine States’ capacity to meet environmental obligations. Human rights and environmental governance are intrinsically linked; therefore, policies that impair environmental protection must be critically reassessed to align with international law and the shared goal of sustainable development for all.
We believe all UCMs are illegal and contrary to International Law. Also states must reassert their commitments under international human rights law and environmental agreements, ensuring that political measures do not compromise the integrity of environmental protection and sustainable development.
