All people have the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. As human rights and the environment are interdependent, a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is necessary for the full enjoyment of a wide range of human rights, such as the rights to life, health, food, water and sanitation and development, among others. At the same time, the enjoyment of all human rights, including the rights to information, participation and access to justice, is of great importance to the protection of the environment.1 Despite myriad international agreements, as well as national laws and policies, the condition of our environment keeps deteriorating. The global crises we currently face, including climate change, the loss of biodiversity, and pollution, represent some of the biggest threats to humanity, severely affecting the exercise and enjoyment of human rights. This Information Note unpacks the right to a healthy environment and its elements. While States have the obligation to respect, protect and fulfill human rights, the note also addresses the active role that stakeholders such as national human rights institutions, businesses, civil society organizations and individuals, in particular environmental human rights defenders, can play to advocate for its realization. Further, given the growing impact of businesses on the enjoyment of rights, including the right to a healthy environment, businesses must respect these rights. The note outlines the process of recognition of the right to a healthy environment, what the right to a healthy environment includes and how it benefits the environment and people. It includes guidance on how we can make the right to a healthy environment a reality for all. The note was co-authored by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).