Change in environmental and social conditions is highly interdependent. Environmental conditions and trends affect human health and quality of life. Social conditions and outcomes need to be reviewed when designing and implementing environmental management activities and policies. Human and social capital is essential for developing and promoting adequate responses to environmental challenges.

Disparities in exposure to pollution generate economic and social costs touching households unevenly. Property right patterns defining access to natural resources must be considered in any attempt to foster cost-effectiveness of environmental management. Environmental policies affect employment and income distribution. These equity implications affect the chances of implementation and enforcement.

Environmental democracy, including the availability of and access to environmental information, opportunities for public participation in environmentally relevant decision-making, as well as access to courts for environmental stakeholders, is essential for enhancing public awareness of environmental issues and the development and implementation of widely supported environmental policies.

OECD Environmental Performance Reviews systematically evaluate country progress in integrating environmental and social concerns. At present OECD analyses focus in particular on distributive effects of environmental policies, on environment and employment, as well as on environmental information and public participation.

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