Intergenerational Equity

TANMOY MUKHERJEE INSTITUTE OF JURIDICAL SCIENCE

Dr. Tanmoy Mukherjee

Advocate

Intergenerational Equity-

Tanmoy Mukherjee

Advocate

Intergenerational Equity is a legal and ethical principle which holds that every generation is only a custodian of natural resources and must use them in a manner that does not prejudice the rights and interests of future generation.

The present generation acts as trustee not an absolute owner of the environment.

Foundation-

The doctrine was systematically developed by Edith Brown Weiss, who emphasized that-

“Each generation has a right to inherit a planet in a condition comparable to that enjoyed by previous generation.”

-In simple words, we should not exhaust or destroy resources today at the cost of tomorrow's generation.

Relationship with other environmental principles-

Intergenerational equity acts as the philosophical backbone of these doctrines.

International Recognition-

Intergenerational Equity in Indian Constitution-

Though not explicitly mentioned, it is judicially read into the constitution.

Reference Cases-

Criticism-

Inter-generational equity transforms environmental protection from a policy choice into a constitutional obligation. Indian judiciary has consistently treated natural resources as a shared inheritance, ensuring that development today doesn't become deprivation tomorrow.