A/HRC/43/54 Rapporteur in identifying good practices that demonstrate the tangible benefits of recognizing the right, particularly for vulnerable and marginalized populations. Finally, participants encouraged the Special Rapporteur to continue his focus on deepening the understanding of the procedural and substantive elements of the right to a healthy environment through his thematic reports to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly, as he has done for clean air (A/HRC/40/55) and a safe climate (A/74/161). VII. Conclusions and recommendations 70. The Special Rapporteur expresses his deep appreciation to everyone who contributed to the present report, including participants in both the expert meeting and the public consultation. 71. Participants in the expert seminar were in agreement on three key points. First, the human species is facing the most serious environmental challenges in human history, encompassing not only the global climate emergency but also the pervasive toxic pollution of air, water and soil that kills millions of people annually and the rapid decline of the abundance and diversity of wild species. Second, the cumulative impact of these environmental problems is contributing to human rights violations across the planet on a large scale that threaten to become catastrophic unless major societal transformations are rapidly implemented. It is strikingly unjust that the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people are shouldering the lion’s share of these adverse environmental impacts and associated human rights violations. Third, adopting a rights-based approach to meeting these environmental challenges, with a particular emphasis on the global recognition and implementation of the right to a healthy and sustainable environment, offers a promising and potentially powerful response. 72. Experts agreed on the following key recommendations: (a) The Human Rights Council and the General Assembly should pass resolutions in 2020 recognizing the human right to live in a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment; (b) All States should expedite their efforts to protect human rights from the adverse impacts of the global environmental crisis by complying with the obligations articulated in the framework principles on human rights and the environment, fulfilling their commitments as parties to international environmental agreements and accelerating progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals; (c) All actors, including States, subnational governments, international organizations, businesses, communities and individuals should make their best efforts to respect, protect and fulfil the right to a healthy environment; (d) The foregoing efforts should place particular emphasis on improving the well-being of the most vulnerable and marginalized populations, to ensure that no one is left behind in the transition to a sustainable society. 17