Abstract
In this introduction to the special issue of Sustainability on environmental laws and sustainability, we attempt to synthesize key lessons from the issue’s ten substantive articles. These lessons involve the use of law to achieve integrated decision-making, the use of pre-existing laws to foster sustainability, the centrality of sub-national governments in achieving sustainability, the background law of unsustainable development, the growing importance of climate change, the need to use law to protect and restore ecological integrity, the importance of judicial review and nongovernmental organizations, the need to translate sustainability into specific legal principles, the challenge of creating an appropriate national legal structure for sustainability, the importance of sustainability assessment tools and institutions before and after laws are adopted, and the importance of “soft” law.
Highlights
Sustainable development provides a framework for humans to live and prosper in harmony with nature rather than living, as we have done for centuries, at nature‟s expense
If we are to make significant progress toward a sustainable society, much less achieve sustainability, we will need to develop and implement laws and legal institutions that do not exist, or that exist in a much different form. Since their clients in government, business, Sustainability 2011, 3 and nongovernmental organizations increasingly demand legal work that addresses sustainable development issues, lawyers have begun to respond to that demand
Rather than summarize each article, we identify and describe their cross-cutting lessons respecting what “law for sustainability” requires
Summary
Sustainable development provides a framework for humans to live and prosper in harmony with nature rather than living, as we have done for centuries, at nature‟s expense. Other needed legal involve a wide range of other laws, including land use and property laws, tax laws, laws involving our governmental structure, and the like This special issue of Sustainability is not just about the relationship between law and sustainability. The urgency of the task before us requires this kind of engaged scholarship: providing information, tools, and ideas that policy makers, practicing lawyers, and others can use to address the challenges and opportunities of sustainability. The contributors to this special issue bring a wide variety of professional, academic, and geographic perspectives to bear on this question. Reading this introduction is not a substitute for reading the thoughtful and provocative articles included in this special issue
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
