ESS Laws

Ecocide

Unlawful or wanton acts committed with knowledge of substantial likelihood of severe environmental damage.

Laws

Rules that govern human behaviour and are enforced by social or governmental authority.

Environmental Law

A field of law concerning the conservation and use of natural resources and control of pollution to improve social and ecological sustainability.

Lobbying

Engaging in activities aimed at influencing public officials and the policies they enact.

Environmental Constitutionalism

The introduction of environmental rights and obligations into the constitution, allowing governments to be held accountable for environmental protection.

International Law

Body of rules established by custom or treaty recognized by nations as binding.

Transboundary Pollution

Pollution that starts in one country and crosses boundaries, via pathways such as air or water, into other countries, causing environmental issues.

ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution

A legally binding regional treaty that aims to prevent and mitigate haze pollution.

Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO)

A UN specialized agency promoting agricultural development and food security.

Paris Agreement

A legally binding treaty within the UNFCC, aimed at mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, signed in 2015 to limit the increasing global temperatures to 1.5°C. Every 5 years, countries submit their national action plans to achieve the aims of the treaty.

CITES

An international agreement ensuring trade in wild species of animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

International Court of Justice

UN body making legal decisions involving disputes between national governments.

International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea

Independent judicial body to adjudicate disputes arising out of the interpretation and the application of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

European Court of Justice

Judicial arm of the EU based in Luxembourg, with jurisdiction and powers to overrule national laws that conflict with the EU’s.

Legal Personhood

Granting an entity the ability to perform activities entitled to humans in legal systems.

Environmental Impact Assessment

Legal frameworks to study potential environmental impact of human developments  such as house estates, transport infrastructure, and energy production such as power stations.

Montreal Protocol

International agreement made in 1987 to combat ozone depletion.

1997 Kyoto Protocol

An international treaty with legally binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Ramsar Convention

A treaty facilitating international cooperation and shared knowledge for the conservation, use, and management of wetlands and their resources.

Whanganui River

The first river in the world to be granted legal personhood in 2017.