Ensuring Access to Environmental Information in the Digital Age.

The theme for the 2025 observance focuses on the vital importance of timely, comprehensive, and cross-border access to environmental information in an increasingly digital world.

Environmental data, encompassing climate change, pollution, biodiversity, and disaster risks, transcends national borders, necessitating collaborative, transparent, and innovative global sharing of information. Access to information is particularly important for populations at risk of environmental disaster due to climate change. This theme also highlights how digital technologies and open data platforms can enhance public access, foster transparency, and empower citizens and stakeholders to participate meaningfully in environmental governance and sustainable development.

Universal access to information is foundational for transparent, participatory, and accountable governance. Access to environmental information is crucial in this context. It is deeply linked to international environmental governance frameworks such as the Paris Agreement (2015) and the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (1992). These international instruments provide a legal and normative foundation supporting citizens’ rights to know and enabling governments to uphold accountability in environmental policies.

Read more in the Concept note