A/HRC/RES/58/16 disastrous and at times geographically dispersed consequences for the quality of life of Indigenous Peoples, peasants, local communities and others who rely directly on the products of forests, rivers, lakes, wetlands and the ocean for their food, fuel and medicine, particularly those living in developing countries, coastal States, small island developing States and least developed countries, resulting in further inequality and marginalization, Recognizing also that, conversely, the impacts of climate change, the unsustainable management and use of natural resources, the pollution of air, land and water, the unsound management of chemicals and waste, the resulting loss of biodiversity and the decline in ecosystem services may interfere with the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and that environmental damage can have negative implications, both direct and indirect, for the effective enjoyment of all human rights, Recognizing further that, while the human rights implications of environmental damage are felt by individuals and communities around the world, the consequences are felt most acutely by those segments of the population that are already in vulnerable situations, such as people facing desertification, land degradation, sea level rise, loss of biodiversity and resources, plastic pollution, ocean acidification and degradation, loss of ocean ecosystems, and drought and water scarcity, as well as women and girls, Emphasizing the importance of undertaking comprehensive environmental and human rights impact assessments prior to authorizing and implementing activities that might harm the ocean or coastal areas, or the rights holders connected to them, Recalling that all people on Earth depend directly or indirectly on the ocean and cryosphere, and that communities living in close connection with polar, mountain or coastal environments, particularly in developing countries, small island developing States and least developed countries, are exposed to the current and future hazards of ocean and cryosphere change, including sea level rise, ocean warming, acidification and deoxygenation, ice sheet and glacier mass loss, and permafrost degradation, Recognizing the benefits of seeking to mitigate and minimize the negative effects of pollution and other forms of environmental degradation and the importance of the environmentally sound management and disposal of chemicals and waste, including in situations of armed conflict and post-conflict contexts, and expressing its deep concern at the threats posed to the effective enjoyment of human rights, particularly to those of children, women and girls, youth, persons with disabilities, older persons, Indigenous Peoples, refugees, local communities, internally displaced persons, migrants and persons in vulnerable situations, Recognizing also that plastic pollution poses risks to the effective enjoyment of human rights, including those of coastal fishing communities, remote and island communities, and marginalized urban populations, worsening poverty and threatening livelihoods, Acknowledging that the presence of microplastic pollution undermines the environmental conditions necessary for sustainable living and hampers progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 14 on life below water and Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation, Recognizing that the exercise of human rights, including the freedom to seek, receive and impart information, to participate fully, equally, meaningfully and safely in the conduct of government and public affairs, to have access to justice and the right to an effective remedy, is vital to the respect, protection and promotion of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, Recalling the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which underscore the responsibility of all business enterprises to respect human rights, including the rights to life, liberty and security of environmental human rights defenders, Acknowledging the responsibility of businesses to address and disclose their climate impacts transparently while respecting human rights standards, to evaluate and report emissions across their operations and to assess the sustainability of their land and marine activities, and to exercise human rights due diligence in business activities, in accordance with the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and with the best available science and scientific information, 4