A/HRC/40/55 high-income nations to low-income nations, where environmental and occupational standards are lower or not vigorously enforced. 37 H. Environmental human rights defenders 81. Across the world there has been a terrible increase in the number of people being murdered, criminalized, harassed, sued or otherwise intimidated because of their courageous efforts to protect the environment and human rights. 38 Individuals working to protect the right to breathe clean air are among the victims. One example is Phyllis Omido of Kenya, who was subjected to death threats because she opposed a lead smelter operating near her home. Gloria Capitan, a heroic woman from the Philippines, was killed because of her opposition to the coal industry. 82. States must prioritize action to protect environmental human rights defenders, ideally by establishing institutions and rules to address the root causes of violence and harassment, celebrating and supporting defenders’ work instead of attacking it and ensuring justice by holding perpetrators of violence accountable for their actions. 39 V. Good practices 83. WHO observed in 2017 that “experiences and insights about good practices are not widely accessible or used” in the area of air pollution. 40 Therefore, the present report highlights a number of laws, policies, programmes and initiatives that have prevented or alleviated human rights violations caused by air pollution. 84. Many States reported to the Special Rapporteur that they are making dedicated efforts to improve air quality and protect their peoples’ right to live in a healthy and sustainable environment. 41 Some are establishing or improving air quality monitoring networks, including Azerbaijan, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Jordan, Mali, Morocco and Qatar. Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Croatia, Singapore and Slovakia are enacting increasingly stringent regulations for industry, vehicles, fuels and other sectors. Improving air quality within buildings is a priority for Bulgaria, Hungary, Montenegro and Poland. National action plans to improve air quality are being developed or implemented in Bahrain, Colombia, Ireland, Kuwait, Montenegro and Uruguay. Slovenia has a website dedicated to air quality action. Colombia, Costa Rica and Uruguay are promoting renewable energy and electric vehicles. Singapore created a vehicular emissions scheme that provides for surcharges or rebates on new and imported vehicles based on their environmental impact. Mali has an agency dedicated to rural electrification and adopted a law protecting human rights defenders, including environmentalists.42 85. The United Nations has established various initiatives to address air pollution. The Climate and Clean Air Coalition focuses on reducing short-lived climate pollutants. The goals of the Sustainable Energy for All initiative are to achieve universal access to modern energy services, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency and double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. Other initiatives include BreatheLife, 37 38 39 40 41 42 14 A. Levinson and M.S. Taylor, “Unmasking the pollution haven effect”, International Economic Review, vol. 49, No. 1 (February 2008), pp. 223–254. Global Witness, At What Cost? Irresponsible Business and the Murder of Land and Environmental Defenders in 2017 (London, 2018). See Declaration on the Rights and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (Declaration on Human Rights Defenders); and Inter-American Court of Human Rights, Kawas Fernández v. Honduras, Merits, Reparations and Costs, Judgment of 3 April 2009. WHO, “Draft road map for an enhanced global response to the adverse health effects of air pollution”, document EB 138/17, p. 2, note 1. The submissions made in response to the Special Rapporteur’s call for inputs are publicly available at www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Environment/SREnvironment/Pages/AirPollution.aspx. Law No. 2018-003 of 12 January 2018 on human rights defenders.