9d. Legal Aspects of Sustainable Development

NB! This track text is confirmed and approved by track chairs.

Track Chairs

  • Volker Mauerhofer, Mid Sweden University, Sweden. 
    volker.mauerhofer@miun.se
  • Rasyikah Md. Khalid, Rasyikah Md. Khalid, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (The National University of Malaysia).
    rasyikah@ukm.edu.my
  • Stella Emery Santana, Centro Universitário FAESA, Vitória, ES, Brazil, stella.emery@faesa.br
  • Karin Buhmann, Centre for Law, Sustainabability & Justice, University of Southern Denmark, karbu@sam.sdu.dk

 

Goals and Objectives of the Track

The goal of this track is to discuss principles, key concepts, methods and applications of legal aspects of Sustainability. We will further map opportunities of and challenges for legal aspects in a sustainable development in various thematic and strategic subjects, thereby contributing to the development of these domains scientifically and practically. The topic related to all three dimensions of sustainable development (environmental, social, economic) and interdisciplinary contributions among and beyond these dimensions are highly encouraged and welcome.

Contributions from the following areas are sought after e.g.

  • Empirical (qualitatively and/or quantitatively data backed) and theoretical contributions
  • Philosophical and historical analysis; case studies; conceptual developments & assessments; descriptions of newly developed methods and their practical application.
  • Deductive and inductive studies; thematically horizontal or sectorial papers; studies of policy mixes among environmental, social and/or economic instruments; de lege lata and/or de lege ferenda essays.
  • Local studies with a potential wider application; comparisons of nations or other spatial units; analysis of regional integration; multilevel interplay.
  • Studies of Common Law and/or Continental Law (public, private and/or criminal/penal law), with a special regard to the environmental problems,
  • Contributions about soft law, binding and/or non-binding instruments, best practices, industry self-regulatory tools, formal and customary institutions,
  • The role of sustainability law for institutional change and government policy also towards future generations
  • Single (case) studies or comparisons related to strategies, plans, programs, conflict of interests and/or trade-offs among different values and interests. Studies related to any stakeholders.
  • Studies on substantial rights (such as human rights) and procedural rights (such as public participation (such as access to information, participation in procedures & access to justice)
  • Innovative local, national, regional & international legal principles/approaches towards more sustainability incl. e.g. degrowth law, green economy law, soft law & customary law
  • Legal institutions and inter-/intragenerational justice on the pathway towards a sustainable transitions
  • Constitutional framework on environmental sustainability and inter/intra generational justice
  • Environmental federalism and inclusive governance
  • Impacts of planning law on sustainable development
  • Legislative, administrative, judicial decision-making & enforcement by law in terms of priority setting, ignorance, uncertainty, risk, conflicts of interest and trade-offs; absolute and relative achievements by law
  • Gender, planetary boundaries and/or ecosystem services, footprint, sustainable production & consumption, rebound effect, cooperate social responsibility, quality management, environmental reporting etc.
  • Sustainable development elements of efficiency, effectiveness and sufficiency, environmental, social and economic capital, capacity and carrying capacity, also with the back ground of population questions
  • Climate change, the law and sustainable development, including topics such as climate governance, climate justice, fair transitions, and energy justice

Length and content of the proposed abstract to the track

Each proposed abstract (in connection to an area pointed out above) of between 300 and 500 words (including all aspects),

  1. shall be best organized (without headlines) along usual structures (e.g. intro/method/findings or results/ discussion/conclusions)
  2. does not need to, but can include references
  3. shall provide in a final section
    a. to which SDG(s) and SDG-target(s) their proposed abstract especially relate to (e.g. “SDG+Target: 14.1.”).
    b. a brief indication how the proposed contribution relates to the topic of the Conference (“SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND COURAGE: CULTURE, ART AND HUMAN RIGHTS”.

Abstracts which do not outline points 3.a.) AND 3.b.) might not be given special consideration in the selection for potential publications and might be considered less relevant in the Review.

Potential publication channels

With regard to potential publications, depending on the number and quality of contributions:

  1. An Inquiry to the Journal of Environmental Management (https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-environmental-management ) Impact Factor 2020 = 6,789) has been already sent about whether a Special Issue is of interest.
  2. A separate global volume on SDGs and law can be envisaged in the ISDRS-Routledge Series (http://isdrs.org/routledge/)

Submission

Deadline for submitting abstracts: See Submissions

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