The right to equality and non-discrimination is important for people working on environmental issues. An indirect form of discrimination was recognised in the United States of America where it was found that most hazardous or polluting industries are built in poor or black neighbourhoods. These areas then bear an unequal share of the environmental problems from these industries as a result of their harmful effects on the health and safety of residents. This practice has been called environmental discrimination or environmental racism. Many decisions about the use of land taken in South Africa during apartheid can also be criticised as environmental discrimination.

The opposite of environmental discrimination can be called environmental justice. Environmental justice requires that:

• The benefits we derive from the environment are shared equally among all people
• Negative aspects, such as rubbish dumps or power stations, are shared amongst all communities

Example:

A local municipality requires rubbish collection to take place only twice a month in a local township because the township is far from the main town centre. The wealthy neighbourhood, which is close to town, has rubbish collections once a week. This is a clear case of inequality on the part of the municipality.