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Since its inception, the United Nations (UN) system has been instrumental in fulfilling the objectives of the UN Charter. Despite these successes, environmental degradation has escalated to critical levels especially in the last six decades. The prevailing development model, reliant on infinite natural resource extraction, is unjust and unsustainable. Growing scientific evidence on planetary boundary warns that this unbalanced developmental model is driving the humanity toward irreversible damage to essential ecological processes. Radical transformations and extraordinary cooperation among nations are required to reverse these. This paper argues that the UN system is critical in facilitating this extraordinary cooperation and charting pathways to a sustainable planetary future by harnessing its convening power, scientific & technical expertise and global presence. To achieve this, the UN must strive for stable and sustainable pathways as a common good by all the 193 member states. This commitment will require structural reforms, robust governance architecture, strengthened multilateralism, and, above all, moving away from artificial geographical boundaries while recognizing the critical role of the UN member states. As a corollary, the UN needs to build capacity and assist sovereign states in translating the ambitious action plans for our planetary future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The constitutional tradition is based in normality, which allows to think in a general social ordination through a constitutional document. Against the backdrop of the global environmental crisis, which has been described as a transition to a new geological era, as the Anthropocene; scholars and policy-makers are bound to cope with the new situation through the creation of some kind of new constitutional order as an ecological constitution indeed. But, the global transformation produced by the growing entanglement between society and biosphere is generating such a complex scenario that the pretension of order seems out of place. This paper tries to draw some insights from taking this new complexity and uncertainty that it creates seriously. The proposal is to see (constitutional) law rather as an event than an order, in the assumption of a permanent state of exception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While literature has explored the influence of imagination and economic thought on (environmental) law, less attention has been paid to the influence of the economic imagination – specifically economic imaginaries – and their capacity to shape environmental regulation. Taking EU pesticides policy and regulation as a case study and drawing on theory regarding the performative power of imaginaries, this piece identifies economic imaginaries expressed in EU policy and demonstrates how those imaginaries have shaped that policy to pursue economic growth and competitiveness. It examines the evolution of a key piece of pesticides legislation and charts how establishing measures to pursue those economic goals gradually prevails, while providing for transparency – a crucial principle for supporting environmental protection – is deprioritised. It argues that these developments were driven by the EU's economic imaginaries and shows how economic considerations can subtly and indirectly undermine environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Legislation and environmental jurisprudence" published in Environmental Legal News in September 2024 compiles information on various environmental topics. Issues such as water, air quality, climate change, noise pollution, deforestation, environmental law, energy, protected natural areas, environmental taxation, mining, liability for damages, health, fishing, plastics, sanctioning procedure, chemicals, transportation, and urban planning are addressed. Authors and specialized journals are cited for each topic. [Extracted from the article]

Compared with the general sense of ecological environmental protection and governance, 'safeguarding ecological security' has both theoretical value and practical significance owing to the more prominent thinking of bottom-line control and the perspective of the short-board effect. Due to the theoretical dilemma of indistinct concepts and unclear positioning of ecological security, 'safeguarding ecological security' has been proposed in environmental legislation, yet it has not been fully and concretely developed. To achieve the perfection of the expression of 'safeguarding ecological security' in environmental legislation, we should first clarify the existing differences in the expression of ecological security, and pinpoint its connotation and positioning. Given the basic characteristic that ecological security must be measured on a regional scale and the basic situation that the existing environmental legal system consists of basic law and a large number of individual laws on the type of ecological space and elements, the river basins, regions with typical natural ecological significance, are chosen as the main object of this analysis, which aims to elucidate the specific composition of the content of safeguarding ecological security in the river basins and analyze its contingent and practical aspects in the environmental legislation. The perfection of basin ecological security legislation should not only involve the levels of the basins and elements in them from a multidimensional perspective in theory but also the comprehensive development of value clarity and content. From the current legislative status, the relevant legislation norms related to the safeguarding of ecological security in the basins are either insufficient or overlapping, vague in meaning, and receive low attention in the actual situation. Formulating ecological and environmental codes is an important way to promote the ecological environment law system, and achieving the sound expression of 'safeguarding ecological security' in environmental legislation can be an opportunity for such codification. First of all, we should clarify the choice of paths for the overall integration of ecological security in the ecological environmental legal system; that is, instead of formulating a more comprehensive ecological security law, we should develop a system with conceptual guidance, principles to be followed, and institutional systems for implementation. In the actual codification of the main general provisions, we should stipulate the legislative purpose, basic principles, and basic system of 'safeguarding ecological security' essentially from scratch. However, when formulating specific systems in the sub-headings of the codification, the compilation method should be used to ultimately form an overall legislative manifestation of the value of the concept of ecological security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earth-centred law (ECL) promotes Nature's intrinsic value and rights, challenging anthropocentric legal frameworks. Drawing from traditional knowledge, systems science, and Earth Jurisprudence, ECL addresses global ecological crises by redefining the human–Nature relationship. This opinion highlights the necessity and challenges of adopting ECL, emphasising its role in making legal and policy decisions that align human activities with Nature's stability. Despite significant obstacles, ECL is, it is argued, critical for living in harmony with Nature and for a just future for all life on Earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document provides a comprehensive overview of recent developments in environmental law and policy. It discusses the increase in seats for the Green Party in a recent election, indicating a growing recognition of climate change as a political issue. The article also highlights legislative progress, including the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill and the Bathing Waters (Monitoring and Reporting) Bill. It mentions a judicial review by Friends of the Earth regarding the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan, which was found to be based on incorrect information. The article concludes by speculating on potential changes in climate change policies with a new government. Additionally, the document includes summaries of various legal cases and consultations related to environmental and energy issues in the UK. [Extracted from the article]

International environmental law rarely refers to the rule of law. However, in fostering inter-state cooperation, international environmental agreements oblige parties to prohibit, restrict or control various activities that are harmful to the environment. The application of these constraints at the national level requires the rule of law to be taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we begin to address the relative lack of scholarship on philanthropic engagement with environmental law. It is clear that big philanthropy exercises significant power in and over our discipline, in a variety of ways that extend beyond the granting (and, importantly, withholding) of funds for projects and activities. Power merits scrutiny. Building on a multi‐disciplinary literature, we identify the plausible ways in which philanthropic organizations frame problems and solutions, and build networks. This is not an 'exposé' of wealthy philanthropists, nor do we think that an exposé is necessary. Foundations are diverse organizations doing a range of interesting and important work. We do, however, want to understand better this community that is so crucial for the development of environmental law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental laws represent significant external factors influencing corporate green behavior. Previous research has predominantly concentrated on assessing the role of environmental courts in mitigating the effects of environmental pollution. Leveraging the establishment of environmental courts in China as a quasi-natural experiment, this study investigates whether environmental law enforcement can promote corporate innovation. Our findings indicate that the establishment of environmental courts can significantly enhance the green innovation of heavily polluting firms, primarily through mechanisms related to environmental pollution cost pressure and R&D investment. The promoting effect of environmental courts on corporate green innovation is particularly pronounced in state-owned enterprises, large-scale enterprises, and firms receiving government green subsidies. Conversely, this effect is attenuated in the western regions of China and in areas with lower public environmental concerns. This study offers a novel perspective on understanding green innovation and provides policy implications for managing environmental courts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Anbar University for Law & Political Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Anbar University for Law & Political Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

While intergenerational responsibility commonly refers to the satisfaction of the needs and demands of present and future generations (Roemer, 2007), intra-generational responsibility implies the concept of justice in a broad sense, for instance equity in measured terms of quality of life, availability of essential goods and access to equal opportunities according to capabilities and resources, guaranteed to each community member (Padilla, 2002). Both definitions are increasingly finding their way into constitutional environmental law and especially within the climate change debate, but in which respect are they interconnected? How do inter- and intra-generational responsibilities approach the issue of "climate refugees" and the principle of non-refoulement? The following paper aims to investigate what are the main features of environmental inter- and intragenerational responsibility and how normative developments related to the environmental law arena are equipped to embed intergenerational equity and the principle of non-refoulement through the case study of Ioane Teitiota, a farmer of the Republic of Kiribati who emigrated from the island of Tarawa to New Zealand prompting his displacement because of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contribution describes the legal phenomenon as a playing field characterized by a progressive regression of the law, understood as a sovereign will from top to bottom, both in the vision of formalist legal positivisms in continental Europe and in realist terms, in the United States. Soft law represents the main strategy to subordinate the law to the interests of the economy, elasticizing environmental law, making it favorable to the market, reducing ecology to the simplistic metric of CO2 emissions. The consequence is a retreat of the statist vertical normativity of law which is not replaced by a de facto power granted to those who control the technology, built by design to close spaces for pluralism and democratic action, in the interest of surveillance and concentrated power in private and government oligopolies. The author concludes by advocating the urgency for genuinely innovative categories, particularly in the legal education, such as the commons, capable of including sustainability into a "new ecological jurisprudence committed to inclusion and solidarity rather than exclusion and struggle". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current investigation endeavors to evaluate the prevalence of stubble burning in India, with a special focus on the state of Punjab. The study emphasizes the enormity of stubble burning by examining farm fire incidents, pollutant emissions, its detrimental impacts. It supports the effective management of crop residue along with proposing alternatives to stubble burning. The article conveys the message that stubble burning can result in deleterious effects on the environment, human health, crop growth, natural ecosystems, visibility, and physical infrastructure. The key solutions lie in education, functional literacy, a heightened awareness of environmental laws, rights and duties, stringent governance, and socially responsible public, promoting adherence to the National Green Tribunal's guidelines for managing crop residue and enlightening farmers about the ill effects of stubble burning on animal, soil, human health, crop biodiversity, and climate change. The available data of districts of Punjab indicates the recent waning trend in stubble burning, thus heralding a positive indication of environmental preservation. Decreased stubble burning is the reward of untiring government initiatives, support and subsidies, awareness programs, advanced research and technology, and enforcement of stringent regulations combined with recognition of the deleterious environmental impacts of stubble burning. This research article indicates that there is still a need for efforts to be made to eliminate stubble burning altogether. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Pandectele Române is the property of Wolters Kluwer Romania and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Environmental human rights defenders (EHRDs) play a key role in the realization of the environmental rule of law and in strengthening social and ecological sustainability. States have the duty to protect and empower the EHRDs, while businesses, investors, and financial institutions also have responsibilities to respect human rights. Although the literature on human rights defenders is comprehensive, the article offers a theoretical analysis of the challenges facing the EHRDs by using Lawrence Lessig's New Chicago School approach to explore the opportunities for bridging the gap between the theory and practice concerning the protection of EHRDs. The article endeavors to contribute to the literature by methodologically explaining the importance of legal regulation and State intervention for creating a safe and just space for the activities of the EHRDs. It demonstrates the effects of the four modalities in Lessig's theory—i.e. the law, the social norms (culture), the architecture (technology), and the market—on the behavior of EHRDs, and ultimately on democracies while emphasizing the power of law as one of these modalities and being one of the imperative elements of the environmental rule of law. It argues that the adoption of international agreements, laws and policies regulating culture, technology, and markets, would empower civil society and encourage broad participation in the decision-making processes both within the States and the businesses to ensure accountable, transparent, and inclusive governance. It concludes that strengthened legal protection mechanisms for the rights of the rights' defenders is an urgent need to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the environmental rule of law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Administración Pública is the property of Centro de Estudios Politicos y Constitucionales and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from the usage of fossil fuels contribute to anthropogenic climate change. The Climate Change International Legal Regime, which consists of primary principles outlined in international treaties, was designed to minimize greenhouse gas emissions. According to customary international law, governments are prohibited from causing harm to one other. A nation breaches this principle when an action within its jurisdiction causes harm to another nation, either intentionally or as a result of negligence. With limited efforts to address climate change, there is a significant likelihood that the damages caused by climate change would escalate in terms of quantity, intensity, and frequency. Amidst the era of climate change, it is imperative for States to take resolute action. Nevertheless, it is disheartening to observe the absence of aggressive endeavors in climate treaty discussions, which is manifested in the vague character of non-binding or lenient mitigation commitments. From this perspective, this paper contends that courts have the potential to act as catalysts for change and exert pressure on States, albeit with some caution, to implement decisive measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the evolving framework of the European Union's approach to environmental sanctions. It dissects the cornerstone principle of effective and dissuasive penalties, exploring its foundation in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and its interpretation by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). The analysis then progresses by scrutinising specific legislative instruments, such as the Environmental Crime Directive, which establish more detailed requirements for environmental offences, including the types and levels of penalties. Furthermore, the article explores the intricate relationship between criminal and administrative liability in the context of environmental law. This exploration incorporates recent case law on the application of the principle of legality and the ne bis in idem principle in environmental matters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Law and the Environment: An Act of Legal Kintsugi?" explores the concept of repair in environmental law, drawing parallels to the Japanese art of kintsugi. It delves into the failures of traditional environmental law, the need for a shift towards relationality, and the potential for law to facilitate repair in an era of ecological challenges. The authors propose a dynamic, generative approach to repair that embraces a relational understanding of law, emphasizing principles such as emplacement, connection, reciprocity, pluralism, and performance. The article invites readers to consider how law can reshape relationships with the environment towards joyful renewal. [Extracted from the article]

The article is devoted to the criminal and legal characterization of illegal logging or illegal transportation, storage, and sale of forest. The author identifies distinct features of the subject matter of the crime, such as: the integrity of trees and shrubs, their virginity, and the absence of age restriction criteria for felled trees and shrubs. The author formulates the criteria for attributing certain territories to the crime scene. The author emphasizes that the understanding of deforestation only as separation of a tree from the root leads to a narrowing of the scope of criminal law prohibition, since such actions as damage, uprooting, causing significant damage to the environment remain outside the scope of criminal liability. It is proposed to give a clear explanation of the meaning of the concept of "deforestation" in the note to Article 246 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The author emphasizes the critical remarks on the legislator's expansion of the objective party, namely, the inclusion in the disposition of Part 1 of Article 246 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, in addition to felling, of such actions as transportation, storage, sale of illegally felled trees or shrubs that caused significant damage. The author establishes that the legislative approach to the formulation of the material elements of a crime which are characterized by the above actions creates a number of problems in the process of qualifying an act. The author provides arguments that it is inexpedient to decriminalize transportation, storage, and sale of illegally felled trees or shrubs which caused significant damage, since such actions do not lose their public danger, especially in the context of the environmental situation complicated by the war. At the same time, the author does not support the view that it is expedient to establish administrative liability for transportation and storage of illegally felled trees and shrubs. It is proposed to differentiate criminal liability in this regard. Transportation, storage, and sale of illegally felled trees or shrubs should be provided for as a criminal offense with a formal composition (Part 1 of Article 246 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), while excluding transportation and storage of illegally felled trees or shrubs from the disposition of Part 1 of Article 65 of the Code of Administrative Offenses as administratively punishable actions. Liability for illegal felling of trees or shrubs in forests, protective and other forest plantations which caused significant damage should be provided for in Part 2 of Article 246 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (as a crime with material composition). It is found that the most common motives for this crime are mercenary motives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article argues that the protection of 'community interests' in international law includes intertemporal obligations of States, in cases where it is scientifically foreseeable that preserving the 'status quo' of a protected community interest is increasingly unlikely. The argument is developed for climate change as a 'common concern of humankind' and based on the premise that even if a temperature limitation of 1.5°C would be achieved towards the end of this century, future generations will nevertheless live in a world that has fundamentally changed due to current policy and law choices. The article introduces the new concept of 'intergenerational preparedness' to operationalise and expand the normative scope of the principle of intergenerational equity. While some argumentative structures will be examined where intergenerational preparedness can be given effect through legal interpretation, the expectation that States must adopt preparatory measures to account for their community interest obligations deserves a more explicit recognition. It is a matter of the (environmental) rule of law to protect community interests on a time continuum, and this encompasses measures to prevent the deterioration of protected interests and to prepare communities for foreseeable detrimental changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El ambiente es un asunto que se encuentra íntimamente ligado a problemas que nos impactan profundamente como sociedad y sujetos, en tanto se relaciona con la accesibilidad a recursos esenciales para la vida como el agua. Este artículo contiene una reconstrucción de los sentidos para la intervención en trabajo social en torno al problema del acceso desigual al agua en Colombia, retomando el enfoque de la ecología política, mediante la metodología de investigación social documental, con un enfoque cualitativo y usando la técnica de revisión de información. Para ello, abordamos la historia ambiental en Colombia y realizamos la revisión de cuatro casos: La Calera, Dosquebradas, Dagua y Bogotá. Se concluye que la gestión colectiva del agua, la gestación de procesos de educación ambiental y la conformación de organizaciones comunitarias, fortalecidas por el componente político, son ejercicios interventivos fundamentales para el manejo equitativo del recurso hídrico.

Uno de los conceptos que requiere análisis profundos en cuanto a la relación entre la naturaleza y la sociedad es el de “comunidad”, pues posee diversos significados, según la disciplina desde la que se aborde. Biológicamente hablando, las comunidades son grupos de poblaciones que comparten un mismo hábitat, además de las interacciones que se presentan en dicho espacio. Desde lo sociocultural, la comunidad, como lo menciona Arturo Escobar (2010), se establece como un proceso de relación entre el “territorio-región” con movimientos políticos, científicos y económicos locales, en defensa de la vida. Lo anterior indica el valor interdisciplinar que posee este concepto para su comprensión y aplicación práctica.

La conservación de la biodiversidad del sur del departamento de Córdoba, específicamente en el Parque Nacional Natural Paramillo, enfrenta desafíos debido a los procesos de intervención antrópica, especialmente vinculados con la cacería de mamíferos. Las comunidades campesinas e indígenas hacen uso de los recursos de la selva húmeda no solo por tradición cultural, sino también por necesidad. Por esto, implica comprender las dinámicas culturales y económicas, al integrar el conocimiento local con el conocimiento científico, promoviendo la participación comunitaria para crear estrategias de conservación que sean culturalmente aceptadas por las comunidades.

La Universidad de los Andes lidera iniciativas sostenibles como el jardín centrado en la naturaleza del edificio Caja de Música. Este proyecto interdisciplinario integra biología, ecología y jardinería regenerativa para restaurar ecosistemas urbanos y promover la biodiversidad. Se priorizan especies nativas, endémicas y naturalizadas, creando microhábitats funcionales para aves, insectos y otros organismos locales. Además, actúa como laboratorio vivo, fomentando la investigación y espacios para la educación ambiental. Diseñado colaborativamente por estudiantes, profesores y personal, este jardín simboliza el compromiso institucional con la sostenibilidad, la conservación de la biodiversidad y la conexión armónica entre la comunidad y su entorno natural.

El estado de Querétaro, uno de los cinco más pequeños de México, posee una gran biodiversidad que se expresa en múltiples paisajes y tipos de vegetación. En esta diversidad de ambientes, las zonas áridas cubren cerca del 40% de la superficie y albergan diferentes tipos de matorral xerófilo, entre los que destaca el matorral micrófilo por su elevada diversidad de flora y fauna, y su alta presencia de endemismos, algunos de ellos bajo categoría de amenaza en listados nacionales e internacionales. En este trabajo se presenta un análisis del matorral micrófilo queretano (MMQ), con una perspectiva amplia, y se proponen acciones para favorecer su conservación. En primer término, se describe el paisaje en que se asienta, las características de su comunidad vegetal y los rasgos más relevantes de su biodiversidad. A continuación, se relata la relación que las comunidades cercanas han establecido con el MMQ a través del empleo de sus recursos, y se narra la manera en la que varias de estas prácticas se han convertido en amenazas para la permanencia de la vegetación. Finalmente, se describen una propuesta para la conservación del MMQ, destacando la declaratoria de una reserva natural que, basada en la investigación científica, la educación ambiental y la incorporación de prácticas tradicionales, promueva el manejo sustentable de los recursos naturales, el impulso de proyectos productivos y la valoración del entorno por habitantes locales y visitantes. Acciones cuya combinación favorecerá la permanencia de esta comunidad única de las zonas áridas mexicanas.

La inserción de múltiples dinámicas e intereses en los municipios de Fusagasugá y Pasca, en Cundinamarca (Colombia), se solapan como capas que convergen, pero que también presentan fricciones entre ellas, ahondado la desigualdad en el acceso al agua en zonas rurales y periurbanas que se han organizado en asociaciones de Acueductos Comunitarios y Distritos de Riego. Estas se ven amenazadas por discursos de escasez del líquido impulsados por la alcaldía de Fusagasugá y otras entidades departamentales que propenden por iniciativas para regionalizar el servicio público de acueducto con la construcción de un embalse para la acumulación del agua, para así gestionarla desde una visión de eficiencia y control en su uso. Considero este tipo de propuestas como proyectos hidro-políticos ya que implantan una visión única sobre el manejo del agua y de territorio, en donde la primera toma un papel central. Ante este panorama, me interesa conocer cómo se han dado y se siguen dando las interacciones alrededor del agua desde una mirada a algunas organizaciones comunitarias ubicadas en estos municipios. Esto lo hago a través de la construcción de un collage con las voces de sus integrantes, y desde el marco analítico de la historia ambiental, hacemos un ejercicio de memoria sobre sus procesos de conformación y arraigo en los territorios, que sirven de cohesión para resistir a la implementación de proyectos hidro-políticos; pero también como medio para articularse en organizaciones de segundo nivel que propendan por la defensa de las cuencas, los territorios y los procesos mismos.

A medida que nos adentramos en el tercer milenio, la ansiedad por el creciente desajuste de los patrones climáticos del planeta sigue en aumento. Paralelamente, la sospecha de que las secuelas ecosociales concomitantes marcan el paso hacia una nueva era geohistórica se refleja en la búsqueda de un nombre para los tiempos que corren (y, por ende, de una perspectiva adecuada desde la cual entender lo que está pasando). Entre dichos nombres, el de “Antropoceno” disfruta de amplia difusión en la comunidad científica. Pero, como lo han advertido numerosos autores, ese bautizo resulta problemático y altamente sesgado. Ante tal escenario, este artículo evalúa diez de los nombres alternativos propuestos en las últimas décadas para designar la nueva era —y sus implicaciones a la hora de hacer un balance de las actuales tensiones ecosociales planetarias—. Metodológicamente, el trabajo se basa en la comparación crítica (sin equivalente hasta ahora en el estado del arte) de dichos nombres y en la revisión de su plausibilidad como alternativa al de Antropoceno. El repaso del sentido y los presupuestos teóricos de las propuestas permite constatar que (i) si bien el esfuerzo por bautizar nuestra época se ha orientado sobre todo por enfoques emanados del norte global que critican la división naturaleza/cultura, al cabo la mayoría le otorga primacía a la visión naturalista, dándole parcial o totalmente la espalda a los desarrollos de la ecología política; (ii) desde la óptica del sur global, si se quiere obtener una imagen ajustada de la situación planetaria actual, es urgente corregir ese sesgo y tomarse más en serio la dimensión socio-histórica de los problemas ambientales.

El cambio climático afecta seriamente los bosques a nivel mundial, reduciendo su capacidad de adaptación y aumentando su vulnerabilidad. La parcela Kawí Tamiruyé, ubicada en la Sierra Tarahumara (México) es un sitio estratégico para el estudio de estas variaciones. El objetivo principal de esta investigación es documentar las investigaciones realizadas entre los años 2021 a 2024. Se encontraron hallazgos novedosos sobre el uso de drones en las áreas de aplicación del conocimiento dentro del área experimental: la respuesta al fuego detectado por el Índice de Vegetación de Diferencia Normalizada (NDVI, por sus siglas en ingles); generación de conocimiento científico para calcular métricas precisas de área y perímetro de la copa; y determinación de índices ecológicos que dan cuenta de los cambios de estructura del bosque, con dominancia ecológica de Pinus engelmannii y Juniperus deppeana. Así mismo, se reporta una incipiente pero prometedora infraestructura de recolección de datos meteorológicos puntuales. Complementariamente, se recopilan investigaciones en proceso con vuelos de drones desde el 23 de marzo de 2021, y se realizan muestreos quincenales y mensuales de muestras para xylogenesis en los últimos 18 meses. Las lecciones aprendidas resaltan la importancia de comprender cómo responden los bosques ante los cambios climáticos y las perturbaciones, ofreciendo información crucial para desarrollar estrategias de adaptación y mitigación.

Este artículo evalúa cómo las instituciones en Colombia abordan la crisis climática. A partir del análisis documental, notas de campo y revisión teórica, se examina la validez de datos oficiales sobre el cambio climático, las interpretaciones y las expectativas asociados a estos, y las implicaciones de su implementación en acciones políticas. Este estudio encuentra que el uso de modelos climáticos y las iniciativas de reparación internacional están pasando por alto diversas incertidumbres científicas. Hay un empleo acrítico de datos institucionales como proyecciones climáticas erróneas en la toma de decisiones de adaptación climática, y se están ignorando los obstáculos de cuantificar económicamente la deuda ambiental de los países del norte global. Estas falencias son producto de estructuras burocráticas que limitan el rango de comprensión ante la crisis climática y de falta de pensamiento crítico frente a las medidas planteadas. Debido a la necesidad de proponer estrategias metodológicas innovadoras para evaluar las iniciativas climáticas actuales, esta investigación resalta la productividad intelectual de combinar el análisis de las incertidumbres en la ciencia climática con la crítica a la burocracia institucional.

El valle medio del río Magdalena se caracteriza por la extensión de sus complejos cenagosos, vitales para la subsistencia de las comunidades ribereñas. En este territorio anfibio convergen resistencias comunitarias en defensa de sus bienes naturales, frente al despojo, la apropiación y la degradación inherente a la economía extractiva impuesta en la región del Magdalena Medio. Las comunidades ribereñas, campesinas, afrocolombianas, de pescadoras y pescadores artesanales generan mecanismos de resistencia en medio de las conflictividades socioambientales, donde confluyen acciones de movilización, acciones jurídicas, incidencia política, redes de colaboración y acuerdos comunitarios, encaminados a la reivindicación colectiva de sus bienes naturales. Este artículo expone la experiencia de las luchas colectivas de la Federación Afrocolombiana de Pescadores Artesanales del Municipio de Cantagallo (Fapamucan) y la Federación de Pescadores Artesanales, Ambientalistas y Turísticos del Departamento de Santander (Fedepesan), en defensa de sus medios de subsistencia, especialmente las ciénagas Pajaral y San Silvestre en los municipios de Cantagallo y Barrancabermeja, respectivamente. Sus luchas se extienden en un contexto crítico en relación con las dinámicas del conflicto armado y la violencia contra las comunidades que resisten a la desposesión y la degradación ambiental de sus territorios.

W artykule przedstawiono problematykę ochrony złóż kopalin oraz nowe rozwiązanie, jakim jest możliwość nadawania złożom lub ich częściom statusu złoża strategicznego. Możliwość ta została wprowadzona ustawą z dnia 16 czerwca 2023 r. o zmianie ustawy – Prawo geologiczne i górnicze oraz niektórych innych ustaw, która obowiązuje od 28 października 2023 r. Omówiono dwa główne kryteria, jakie powinno spełniać złoże kopaliny, oraz procedurę wydawania decyzji o uznaniu złoża kopaliny lub jego części za złoże strategiczne przez ministra właściwego do spraw środowiska. Przeanalizowano też skutki wydania owej decyzji, która z założenia ma zwiększyć ochronę prawną takiego złoża. Ochrona ta składa się z sześciu istotnych elementów, również opisanych w artykule.

Przedmiotem opracowania jest analiza przepisów dotyczących uchwały antysmogowej, którą może podjąć sejmik województwa na podstawie art. 96 ustawy z dnia 27 kwietnia 2001 r. – Prawo ochrony środowiska, z uwzględnieniem praktycznego zastosowania takiego aktu prawnego. Tekst składa się z dwóch części: teoretycznej i empirycznej. W pierwszej przedstawiono studium treści wskazanego przepisu, gdyż budzi on liczne wątpliwości interpretacyjne, które niejednokrotnie nastręczają trudności w stosowaniu prawa. W drugiej części omówiono uchwałę nr V/36/1/2017 Sejmiku Województwa Śląskiego z dnia 7 kwietnia 2017 r. w sprawie wprowadzenia na obszarze województwa śląskiego ograniczeń w zakresie eksploatacji instalacji, w których następuje spalanie paliw. Odwołano się do danych na temat karania za naruszenie przepisów wynikających z art. 334 p.o.ś. oraz, dla porównania, z art. 191 ustawy o odpadach przez wybrane jednostki straży gminnych i miejskich z terenu województwa śląskiego w latach 2019–2023. Zebranie tych informacji i ich opracowanie posłużyło określeniu, jaka jest efektywność omawianego środka prawnego, co z kolei pozwoliło wskazać przyczyny małej skuteczności wykorzystywania przepisów zawartych w uchwale.

Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB) is an emerging technology designed to mitigate the impacts of climate change by increasing the reflectivity of low-lying marine clouds. As research into this technology advances, the question of how to govern its trials and deployment becomes increasingly important. This paper identifies 12 challenges and 13 recommendations for governance of MCB, based on a systematic review of 27 publications. These findings are explored in relation to the design of effective MCB governance, with a particular focus on potential small-scale applications for ecosystem conservation purposes, like coral bleaching mitigation. The paper underscores the existing knowledge gaps and potential avenues for future MCB governance research, contributing to the burgeoning literature on the governance of innovative technologies aimed at addressing global environmental challenges. To manage potential risks and maximise potential benefits, it is crucial to understand the governance challenges MCB presents and explore options to address these challenges.

There is increasing agreement among scientists and policy makers that we need transformative change, change at the deepest levels of society, to become sustainable. There is also increasing attention for politics, power relations and justice in studying and governing sustainability transitions. This attention has however largely been limited to human politics, power relations and justice, even though other animals are also stakeholders in these transitions. This article focuses on the inclusion of nonhuman animals in the food system transition in the Netherlands. Through an embodied critical discourse analysis of academic papers and policy texts we show that there is a lack of inclusion of other animals as stakeholders, and how anthropocentric ontological and epistemological assumptions lead to reproducing power inequalities and the perpetuation of practices of nonhuman animal exclusion and oppression. In addition, our analysis demonstrates how terms such as ‘intrinsic value’ serve human rather than nonhuman interests because they are interpreted in such a way that they simultaneously assuage guilt and legitimize continued owning and killing of other animals by humans. We also contribute methodologically by adding the practice of re-embodiment of texts to the close reading method generally used in Critical Discourse Analysis, thereby making this method less anthropocentric. Finally, we propose steps towards the emancipatory inclusion of nonhuman animals in environmental governance.

In a context of complex and unprecedented challenges, innovations in governance are called for to embrace uncertainty and contingency. As a novel form of governance urban experimentation is intended to foster innovation and promote societal change. Building on the concepts of reconfiguration and multiplicity, scholars direct attention towards the multidimensional, hybrid and recursive nature of transformative change. The article provides an empirical exploration of local experimentation and contextual reconfiguration, illustrating how experimentation is mediated by and transforms local governance settings. It builds on “Dresden – City of the Future: Empowering Citizens, Transforming Cities!“, a transdisciplinary research project that aims to facilitate the co-creation of knowledge by researchers and practitioners, and advance the governance of local sustainability transitions. The exploratory study sheds light on processes of re-alignment between old and new forms of governance, illustrating the shift from hierarchy to co-creation, and from planning and accountability to experimentation and exploration.

Institutional reforms are crucial to meeting growing transboundary challenges. However, the scholarship recognizes that institutions are often sticky due to path dependencies. This paper aims to contribute to the literature on institutional reform by highlighting the web of processes interacting to enable or prevent change from happening. The paper argues that a framework for understanding prospects for reform must combine perspectives about agency and architecture in order to gain insights into the coming together of the supply and demand of reform proposals. An international institution that faces growing calls for reform is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This paper examines UNFCCC reform options through an interview study with a range of stakeholders. The interviews reveal factors that can advance or block reform. The paper concludes by discussing its findings and implications for understanding the politics of institutional reform.

This perspective article explores foundational shifts required for the conceptualization of future principles and goals to inform the starting re-negotiation process of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) post-2030. Based on a multi-stakeholder consultation and workshop-based focus groups, this article emphasizes integrating non-material aspects of human flourishing, such as cultural, psycho-social, and community-based aspects, in addition to the current focus on material conditions (as represented in the SDGs).Given regional, cultural, religious and other specificities, these non-material aspects need to be based on localized goals and indicators that follow global principles. This in turn, we argue, requires the development of a multi-level governance framework to capture the full spectrum of societal health and human experience allowing for both top-down principle-based governance as well as bottom-up goal and indicator development. Key recommendations include: localized implementation by leveraging local and indigenous knowledge, and fostering adaptable development models rooted in local realities and global principles.This flourishing-based development approach aims to harmonize material conditions with non-material aspects of human flourishing as a process oriented integrated systems approach.

The electrification of renewable energy systems is fostering a global surge in demand for the “critical” metals that are used in the production of lithium-ion batteries, raising concerns that the latest round of “renewable extractivism” is degrading some of the world's most fragile ecosystems and communities. In the absence of credible and legitimate forms of state regulation, transnational corporations in the mining, battery and auto sectors have used a range of procedures to monitor, report, and verify their performance on environmental, social, and governance indicators. This article examines how transnational governance initiatives seek to regulate the extraction of lithium for lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles. It starts from the premise that their monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) procedures are “rituals of legitimation” or technical routines that frame and define what constitutes responsible mining practice while not mitigating harm. We analyze an original database of 18 public, private, and hybrid governance initiatives to investigate the types of rituals used. In theory, using third-party audits to monitor, report, and verify mining standards and regulations provides an important means of holding powerful mining companies accountable for the social and ecological harms of resource extraction. However, maintaining the autonomy of third-party auditors entails reducing or eliminating the role of mining interests in transnational governance practices. We find that the strongest and most independent forms of governance are ones that are rooted in public institutions with legal mechanisms for enforcing corporate compliance. By contrast, private initiatives place significant responsibility in the hands of subcontractors, offering limited opportunities for including or offering affected communities a means of redress. Finally, hybrid initiatives establish more comprehensive MRV practices, but these too adopt procedures that limit the conditions under which affected communities may question, negotiate, or – indeed – say no to mining. The findings highlight the importance of establishing governance procedures that maintain the autonomy of third parties by institutionalizing and enforcing independent site visits, local participation, grievance mechanisms, and meaningful consequences for non-compliance.

Artykuł jest poświęcony ochronie in situ oraz ex situ składników różnorodności biologicznej w warunkach zmian klimatycznych w świetle przepisów Konwencji o różnorodności biologicznej z 5 czerwca 1992 r. W tekście przedstawiono podstawy prawne ochrony różnorodności biologicznej oraz scharakteryzowano cel, strukturę i sposób funkcjonowania konwencji. Poruszono również problem znaczenia obszarów chronionych w ramach ochrony in situ i ex situ składników różnorodności biologicznej zgodnie z art. 8 i art. 9 analizowanej umowy międzynarodowej. Ponadto artykuł traktuje o relacjach między różnorodnością biologiczną a zmianami klimatu.

Transdisciplinary research has been increasingly advocated as necessary to address complex planetary health challenges spanning environmental and human health in different socio-economic contexts. Recognising global interdependence, such research must engage in equitable co-production for lasting, meaningful impact. Existing transdisciplinarity frameworks and practices from the environment, health, and development fields primarily focus on research processes and outcomes, generically mentioning ‘collaboration’ without sufficiently expanding how the process can be designed to facilitate equitable and sustained outcomes. This case study undertakes an empirical deep-dive into a planetary health research in Indonesia to better understand transdisciplinary collaboration from participants' experiences. Deductive and inductive analyses of the enabling and constraining factors offer novel insights into the collaborative process of stakeholder engagement, interaction, and integration. Rich examples from the case study were then synthesised into process design strategies to overcome structural constraints through boundary spanning, adaptive project management, and creating spaces for social learning and reflexivity. (150 words).

This article aims to fill a critical gap in literature by examining the evolving perspectives of Global South countries (often framed as a monolithic entity), within the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) debates on climate security from 2007 to 2023. Using discourse analysis, the study traces how internal divergences and convergences among these countries shape their positions on two key questions: the acknowledgment of climate change as a security issue and the endorsement of the UNSC’s role in addressing it. A key finding of this analysis is that while there is a growing consensus within the Global South that climate change poses significant security risks, there remains substantial resistance to UNSC involvement in addressing these risks. The article concludes that the Global South, as a category, may have limited utility in understanding the role of the UNSC in climate security. Instead, smaller, more focused coalitions like Small Island Developing States (SIDS) offer a more coherent and meaningful framework for understanding how states approach climate security.

Many private philanthropic foundations are engaging intermediary organizations as a strategy to better integrate justice into their grantmaking. This study examines how intermediary organizations work in practice and how they can or cannot contribute to justice in conservation funding. We employed Q methodology and a knowledge co-production approach to examine grantees’ experiences of justice in their grantmaking relationship with a funding intermediary, the Micronesia Conservation Trust (MCT). Using a collaborative process of knowledge creation and interpretation, we identified three distinct perspectives: 1. Intermediaries bridge gaps in justice; 2. Intermediaries are helpful but constrained; and 3. Intermediaries cannot solve injustice in conservation funding. Our findings indicate that while intermediaries can play a vital role in advancing justice in grant-making relationships, they are not a silver bullet for addressing injustices that are inherent to funding dynamics.

Involvement of non-academic stakeholders in research is essential when seeking to address global challenges, yet there is considerable uncertainty on how to do this well given the complexity. This paper aims to define more clearly what ‘good’ co-production looks like in the context of urban-planetary health research and how to operationalise it in research design, drawing on existing literature alongside case study experience from operationalising a major research programme. The first sections of the paper set out the rationale, and analyses key issues identified relating to co-production. The case study analysis is based on six headline themes: clarity of mission, language, societal impact, complexity, new approaches and limitations. Eight principles are presented alongside associated questions for research teams. Logic model development and co-production activities are plotted along the ten-year research trajectory, which reveals five key decision points and potential opportunities for optimising mission-oriented co-production in research design.