Securing Equitable and Sustainable Futures in the Anthropocene-What Role and Challenges for Environmental Law?

Abstract

This introductory chapter sets out the emerging challenges for environmental law in the Anthropocene. It highlights the importance of developing strategies to deal with a range of plausible futures. The chapter identifies the role of environmental law in shaping sustainable and equitable futures. It also highlights the shortcomings of and obstacles for contemporary legal and institutional frameworks which might limit the potential of legal instruments to address the challenges of the Anthropocene. The chapter concludes by introducing each of the subsequent chapters and demonstrating how the multifaceted issues explored in the book address the role for law in shaping sustainable and equitable futures amidst significant uncertainty.