On Thursday, July 28, the U.N. General Assembly adopted (161 votes in favor and 8 abstentions) a resolution declaring that access to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is a universal human right. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres referred to this development as "historic" and stated that "[t]he resolution will help reduce environmental injustices, close protection gaps and empower people, especially those that are in vulnerable situations...." According to a U.N. press release, UN High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet supported the resolution but noted that "simply affirming our right to a healthy environment is not enough" and that "States must implement their international commitments and scale up their efforts to realize it." The text of the resolution was originally presented by Costa Rica, the Maldives, Slovenia, and Switzerland in June 2021, but is now co-sponsored by more than 100 states. The text of the resolution is yet to be published.