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Sustainability Law

The urgent need for a deeper understanding of the roles of law and legal systems in facilitating just and sustainable transformation is at the forefront of our mission. The Sustainability Law Research Group is dedicated to examining how law and legal systems can effectively deliver ambitious sustainability goals, while upholding fundamental values and functions of law.

Koli National Park. Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash

Exploring the Role of Law in the Sustainability Transformation

The European Union, joined by numerous regional and state players, is committed to ambitious sustainability objectives concerning climate change, biodiversity, and environmental health. While sustainability transformation research has tackled various policy, institutional, and legitimacy concerns associated with these goals, there remains a notable gap. A profound, institutional understanding of how law and legal systems can either facilitate or hinder a just transformation has yet to be fully explored and discussed.

Legal Pathways to Achieving Sustainability: The Research Agenda

To study the role of law and legal systems is in delivering ambitious yet just sustainability goals, the Sustainability Law Research Group concentrates on three pivotal sustainability goals: combating climate change, preserving biodiversity, and achieving zero pollution. Our research spans a broad spectrum, including general theoretical, methodological, and constitutional questions integral to a just sustainable transformation. Beyond this, we delve into the application of law and legal systems across various social-ecological subsystems. These encompass energy, production and consumption, urban development, and water and marine ecosystems.

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