1. A World Top 200 university, Times Higher Education 2018
Sean Whittaker Uncovering the Environment: The Right of Access to Environmental Information as a Global Driver for Sustainable Development
Law
ISSR Forum | 12th June 2018 | Lightning talk

2. The Right of Access to Environmental Information and Sustainable Development
Right to access environmental information held by public authorities
Proactive dissemination and responding to requests
Overarching links between the right and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
Goal 13: Climate Action
Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Further links with the global challenges of promoting sustainable economies

3. Uncovering the Environment: The Use of Public Access to Environmental Information
Current ESRC-funded project
Who accesses environmental information under the right?
How is the environmental information being used?
Has the right led to changed outcomes of environmental decisions?
Engages with the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Participating in environmental decision-making process
Access to justice

4. Project methodology and research team
Mixed methods approach
Doctrinal Analysis
Data analysis from key stakeholders
Surveys and interviews with both users and holders of environmental information
Research team
Professor Colin Reid (Law)
Dr Jon Mendel (Geography)
Sean Whittaker (Law)

5. Current progress and future work
Currently in early data gathering
Secondary data from the Scottish Information Commissioner and other key stakeholders
Surveys answered by both users and holders of environmental information
Findings will assist in future interdisciplinary research in this area
Environmental governance and democracy
Human rights
Climate justice

6. Sean Whittaker s.x.whittaker@dundee.ac.uk