Humans have always maintained a right of access to the environment in order to search and explore for natural resources which serve to fulfill basic human needs. These rights are affirmed as fundamental human rights by all governments and in the United Nations Charter. To ensure such rights different strategies have been adopted by different nations. For developing countries, population control and economic growth are the two common strategies recommended by the researchers and international organizations. Such strategies have been criticized when environmental protection has become integral part of development thought under the rubric of sustainable development. In this paper three approaches to environmental justice have been discussed. It has been argued that there are considerable limitations accepting economic growth, population control and sustainable development as principles of governance and environmental justice.