Beyond Compliance: Corporate Environmental Crimes and the Quest for Environmental Justice in India

Abstract

Globalization and industrialization have no doubt assisted in improving the standard of living of the people. At the same time, it has also assisted corporations and business entities to expand their business operations, who were running their business at small scale and limited to a particular market of customers. This has made these entities to earn more revenue and wealth by supplying their products and services across the boundaries of the nation. However, for becoming a successful business entity in a globalized world, companies have started exploiting the ecological resources at an enormous rate. Natural resources like forest and rivers are being degraded at the whims of these corporations. Not afraid by the environmental laws and legal framework, these corporations become actively involved in venturing into environmental crimes in India like poaching of endangered wildlife, illegal trade of forest resources, illegal logging and polluting water resources. The minting of revenue from such crimes often leads to environmental injustice to forest dwellers and other individuals whose environment is being encroached upon. The present paper explores the corporate environmental crimes being committed in India, the impact of such crimes on the environment and the lives of the people. It also explores the existing Indian legal structure in preventing such crime, challenges being faced and possible remedies for preventing such crimes.