Notions of Equity in (International) Environmental Law: Inter-generational Equity

Equity has a long history. In the first chapter of this thesis, notions of equity in conventional international law will be discussed. It must be more helpful to understand equity based upon the history of the term since the issues relating to equity were raised in quite a few cases in the past. In the second chapter, by discussing environmental equity in the United States, the only remaining superpower and the largest economy in the world, the thesis tries to see the future of equity in international environmental law. Environmental equity issues in the United States are good sources for the discussion of the notions of equity in international environmental law when there are few countries where the notions of equity in environmental law are actively discussed. The discussion of environmental equity in the United States is divided into two separate parts. The first part of the discussion is focused on environmental equity movement that is far from being close to addressing intergenerational equity. But provided that this movement could be developed into the protection of the interests of future generations, it is not unnecessary to review the equity issues in the United States. The second part of the discussion, which appears in the third chapter focuses on supporting intergenerational equity. In the third chapter, based upon international legal instruments that incorporate the notions of intergenerational equity to solve the problems of intertemporal inequities in the distribution of resources, the author discusses the emerging issue of intergenerational equity