International Environmental Law and Acceleration of Global Change

Anthropogenic pressures on the Earth System have reached a scale where major environmental change can no longer be excluded. Science has already set planetary environmental boundaries within which humanity can operate safely. Transgressing these will likely trigger abrupt environmental change on a planetary scale. Today, mainstream economics seems to believe that economics exist independent of the laws of biology, chemistry and physics. But perpetual economic growth is not possible on a finite planet, so the situation requires new thinking with regard to the global economy and the search for alternative economic models. Cognitive, economic, political and normative transformation, the renewal of civilisation or cultural change are needed to find ways of living for human beings that are fulfilling and consistent with the laws of the planet. Making the transition to more sustainable societies will require nations and groups within nations to cooperate and make the political commitment to achieve this transition. Future development necessitates balancing the interests and concerns of both the environment and the economy. The importance of international environmental law as a tool to balance these potentially conflicting interests is increasing. But despite the proliferations of international environmental agreements, environmental hazards and new environmental challenges have continued to emerge. The effectiveness of environmental law unfortunately remains an unmet challenge.