Mapping and assessing the Supreme Court of India’s jurisprudence on sustainable development in light of the SDGs: from Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum to Hanuman Laxman Aroskar

Abstract

The 2015 adoption of Agenda 2030 with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals represents a new approach to promoting sustainable development. This article examines the potential openness of the Supreme Court of India to utilize Agenda 2030 rhetoric by looking at the Court’s case law. For this purpose, landmark cases that advanced the Court’s understanding of sustainable development are analyzed in order to identify different angles of interpretation. Against this background, this article argues that the Court’s 2019 ruling in Hanuman Laxman Aroskar v Union of India marks a critical step towards SDG implementation in a domestic context. In light of this recent development, the Court’s jurisprudence on sustainable development is then critically evaluated. The article concludes with an outlook on potential future paths of integrating the SDGs into the Court’s case law.