International Law Commons^™

The Environmental, Social, Governance (Esg) Debate Emerges From The Soil Of Climate Denial, Lawrence J. Trautman, Neal Newman

Faculty Scholarship

It has been almost six decades since Rachel Carson’s ominous warning of pending environmental disaster. During 2019 the United Nations requested urgent action from world leaders, given that “just over a decade is all that remains to stop irreversible damage from climate change.” With every passing year, damage resulting from destructive climate change causes increased pain, suffering, death and massive property loss. During 2020 and 2021 alone, severe weather events have included: destructive fires in California; record breaking freeze, power outage, and threat to the electrical grid in Texas; continuation of disruptive drought in U.S. Western states; and record-breaking high …

International Energy And Natural Resources, Petra Stewart, Mauricio Becerra De La Roca Donoso, Mario Ballivian, Mathias Dantin, Kevin Haroff, Kingsley Osei, Leonardo Sempertegui, Ricardo Alves Silva, Sara Frazão

The Year in Review

No abstract provided.

Patents And Plants: Rethinking The Role Of International Law In Relation To The Appropriation Of Traditional Knowledge Of The Uses Of Plants (Tkup), Ikechi Mgbeoji

PhD Dissertations

Legal control and ownership of plants and traditional knowledge of the uses of plants (TKUP) is often a vexed issue, particularly at the international level because of the conflicting interests of states or groups of states in the matter. The most widely used form of juridical control of plants and TKUP is the patent system which originated in Europe. This thesis rethinks the role of international law and legal concepts, the major patent systems of the world and international agricultural research institutions as they affect legal ownership and control of plants and TKUP. The analysis is cast in various contexts …

Inclusion Of Incentive And Punitive Measures In Multilateral Environmental Agreement: A Suggestion On How The United Nations Framework Convention On Climate Change Can Be Utilized To Influence The Reduction Of Gas Flaring In The Oil And Gas Exploration Fields Of Nigeria, Temiloluwa Elijah Olanrewaju

Dissertations & Theses

Gas flaring is categorized as one of the important contributors to greenhouse gases, which increases the risk of global warming and climate change. The overdependence of the modern economy and most industrial technologies on fossil fuels has created a situation in countries where fossil fuels are exploited. The governments rely majorly on the revenue from exporting oil. The IOCs that are engaged in the mining of oil and gas have been able to influence policy and law enforcement on gas flaring to such an extent that the National laws are not enforced, or the stipulated fines are abysmally low that …

International Energy And Natural Resources, Petra Stewart, Mariana Ardizzone, Tony Wassaf, Mauricio Becerra De La Roca Donoso, João Otávio Pinheiro Olivério, Mathias Dantin, Leonardo Sempertegui, Ricardo Alves Silva, Sara Frazão, Caryl Ben Basat

The Year in Review

No abstract provided.

Tijuana River Valley Pollution: How The Environmental Protection Agency Expects To End A Ninety-Year Environmental And Public Health Crisis, Andrew Simmons

Villanova Environmental Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Endnotes

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

No abstract provided.

Climate Migration Beyond The Refugee Framework: Creating Bridges Between Human Rights And International Climate Law, Mara Elisa Andrade

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

No abstract provided.

Accounting For Climate Change In United States Regional Ocean Planning: Comparing The Obama And Trump National Ocean Policies To A Climate-Forward Approach, Taylor Goelz

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

No abstract provided.

Swallowing The Rule: Why Ferc’S “Immediate Need Exemption” Frustrates Competitive And Climate-Smart Electricity Sector Transmission Planning Under Order No. 1000, Philip Killeen

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

No abstract provided.

“At What Cost?’: The Future Of Securities Enforcement In Climate Change Litigation, Angela Washington

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

No abstract provided.

About Sdlp

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

The Sustainable Development Law & Policy Brief (ISSN 1552-3721) is a student-run initiative at American University Washington College of Law that is published twice each academic year. The Brief embraces an interdisciplinary focus to provide a broad view of current legal, political, and social developments. It was founded to provide a forum for those interested in promoting sustainable economic development, conservation, environmental justice, and biodiversity throughout the world.

Because our publication focuses on reconciling the tensions found within our ecosystem, it spans a broad range of environmental issues such as sustainable development; trade; renewable energy; environmental justice; air, water, and …

Editor's Note, Keanu Bader, Alexis Bauman

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

No abstract provided.

Endnotes

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

Endnotes

Risk Regulation And Management Against Illegal Wildlife Trade: Europe And America, Olonyi Bosire

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

Introduction

The source or initial crime in the illegal wildlife trade chain is mostly committed beyond the shores of North America and Europe. However, the two regions continue to be massive destination markets and key transit hubs for illegal wildlife products. Illegal trade networks are shadowy and therefore problematic to study. This helps explain the wide valuation of illegal wildlife trade currently estimated by the Global Environment Facility (“GEF”) as ranging between 7 and 23 billion dollars per annum.

Policies and strategies to pre-empt or respond to illegal wildlife trade keep evolving as appreciation grows for the previously underestimated complexities, …

The Truth Is Always In Style: Targeting Greenwashed Advertising In The Fashion Industry, Sydney Helsel

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

H&M’s 2019 “Conscious Collection” promotional images juxtapose lush green gardens with a hazy city skyline in the background. The collection, which advertises itself as “[t]he short cut to sustainable choices,” is just one example of many fashion brands’ attempts to capitalize on the increased demand for sustainable products. Each year, the fashion industry consumes approximately ninety-three billion cubic meters of water and produces an estimated ten percent of the world’s carbon emissions. The environmental effects of the fashion industry can be seen in images of the dried up Aral Sea in Uzbekistan and in the dye and chemical filled black …

The Overfished Pacific Bluefin Tuna: The Tragedy Of A Highly Migratory Fish Species, Theresa Geib

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

Introduction

The ocean is an abundant resource; however, overutilization is becoming an increasing threat to biodiversity. Approximately 90% of the ocean’s fisheries are overexploited, fully exploited, or have collapsed entirely. The issue of overfishing arose in the mid-1900s after the industrialization of the fishing industry. Once dominated by local fishermen, the industry now features commercial fleets with the technology to locate, extract, and process large numbers of specific fish species. An early 2000s study reported that only 10% of large ocean fish remained after years of industrial fishing, including the highly migratory Pacific Bluefin Tuna (“PBT”).

In 2016, the PBT …

An Opportunity That Should Not Be Missed: Applying Chinese Policy That Promotes Efficient Air Conditioning To Countries That Need It, Xiaopu Sun, Houfu Yan, Shekun Wang, Tad Ferris

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

Introduction

As the world warms, the growing use of air conditioners (“ACs”) and other cooling equipment becomes essential for human comfort and public health. In addition, cooling-equipment energy and refrigerant consumption also presents tremendous climate mitigation opportunities. The most efficient ways to capture much of the climate benefit lie in the hands of a small number of AC manufacturing and exporting countries, including China, which manufactures over 80% of global room ACs with a large amount of this cooling equipment destined for export. This article highlights one of China’s policies, the “Same Line, Same Standard and Same Quality” policy (“Same-Line …

About Sdlp

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

The Sustainable Development Law & Policy Brief (ISSN 1552-3721) is a student-run initiative at American University Washington College of Law that is published twice each academic year. The Brief embraces an interdisciplinary focus to provide a broad view of current legal, political, and social developments. It was founded to provide a forum for those interested in promoting sustainable economic development, conservation, environmental justice, and biodiversity throughout the world.

Because our publication focuses on reconciling the tensions found within our ecosystem, it spans a broad range of environmental issues such as sustainable development; trade; renewable energy; environmental justice; air, water, and …

Editor's Note, Keanu Bader, Alexis Bauman

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

Dear Readers,

The Sustainable Development Law & Policy Brief (SDLP) is celebrating twenty-one years of legal scholarship on issues related to environmental, energy, and international development law. We are honored to be the Editors-in-Chief at this pivotal moment in SDLP’s history. Over the past twenty one years, SDLP has addressed cutting-edge legal issues developing within international environmental law. This year is no different, as the COVID-19 Pandemic has impacted our communities, we rose to the challenge to continue to publish articles that push the limits of legal theory and policy, while giving a space for students to …

Endnotes, David Hunter

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

No abstract provided.

Nothing Shellfish About It: Why The Fad Needs To Update The Seafood List To Require Geographic Origin And Species-Specific Shrimp Labeling, Bree Evans

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

Introduction

Imagine you are seated at a nice restaurant down by the wharf where you live. You are celebrating a job offer, out for a romantic night with your partner, or just craving some salt air and a great meal. You would expect the shrimp tacos brought to your table to be fresh and local—the fishing boats are docked just across the boardwalk. But the seafood brought to your table seems off somehow, not quite the same as you remembered it. Unfortunately, this experience is more common than you might think, and it’s getting harder to know how fresh and …

A Silver Bullet: Could Data Linking Urban Heat Islands To Housing Discrimination Curtail Environmental Racism?, Russell Armstrong

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

“[A]ll things share the same breath— the beast, the tree, the man …the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports.”

Google “Chief Seattle” and you will likely find that quote. We now know it is a work of fiction after several misinterpretations and fabrications of Dr. Henry Smith’s original translation. We also know now that all people, particularly Black Americans, do not all breathe the same air. Instead, Black Americans and other underrepresented minorities are subjected to the toxic effects of climate change at increasingly disproportionate rates. Controlling for income, studies find racial identity is the most …

Manufacturers Beware Of Right To Repair: An Analysis Of The Resurgence Of Right To Repair & The Legal Consequences Of Third-Party Access To Embedded Software In The ‘Internet Of Things’ Era, Lindsey Barringto

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

On March 18, 2019 California became the twentieth state to introduce Right to Repair legislation in one year. The policy objectives for Right to Repair are straightforward: advocate for federal and state laws that make it easier for owners of consumer goods to ix a device when it breaks rather than relying on the Apple store. However, since 2014, small farmers have joined the Right to Repair movement because major manufacturers, such as John Deere, have consolidated dealer networks in response to the consolidation of farming in the past decade.

While proponents for Right to Repair legislation argue that consumers …

Climate Gentrification: An Imminent Threat To Oceanfront Cities, Marcel Apple

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

Overview

Traditionally, gentrification occurs when real estate prices appreciate, leading to significant cultural change in low-income communities and involuntary displacement of low-income residents. In recent years, Miami, Florida is beginning to feel the impacts of “climate gentrification.” High-income buyers, who historically develop property close to the ocean, are affected by rising sea levels and increasingly look inland to develop areas on higher ground. The influx of real estate investments in these is expected to lead to spiking home prices and property taxes, forcing many longtime community members to abandon their homes.

Homeowners in these communities already report approaches from developers …

Canada’S Arctic Policy Framework: Governance Transformation In Nunavut, C. Mark Macneill

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

On August 28, 2017 Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau committed to a renewed relationship with Indigenous Peoples based on the recognition of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership. To accomplish this mission, major structural changes in how the Government of Canada engages and relates with Indigenous peoples across the country were co-developed with indigenous, territorial and provincial partners to form a new Arctic Policy Framework (APF). This has had major implications of departmental transformation, particularly for the former Department of Indigenous and Northern Affairs (INAC), Nunavut. Regional Office (NRO), its staff, programs, and operations.

Splitting Canada’S Northern Strategy: Is It Polar Mania?, C. Mark Macneill

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

On July 15, 2019, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s legislation splitting Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) into two new departments and dissolving INAC came into effect. The same legislation also formally established the mandates of the two new departments, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs (CIRNAC) and Indigenous Services Canada (ISC). The Government of Canada passed the legislation to develop deeper relations and higher levels of collaboration with Canada’s Indigenous people to build stronger and healthier northern communities. Dovetailing with the splitting of INC, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announce the Arctic Policy Framework (APF). The APF was co-developed with indigenous, territorial, …

Transboundary Air Pollution In Northeast Asia: Two Pathways Forward For China And South Korea, Yeeun Uhm, Creighton Barry

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

Simply put, air pollution kills. Each year, more than 5.5 million people die from illnesses caused by breathing polluted air worldwide. In 2013 alone, one in ten deaths globally were associated with air pollution. Such alarming statistics ought to provide governments a strong incentive to combat air pollution, but toxic air unrelentingly blankets places like New Delhi, Seoul, and Bangkok. Fundamentally, this may be because humans take the atmosphere for granted as a place to dump industrial waste. This article will discuss two alternative pathways to addressing transboundary air pollution between China and South Korea. One involves binding international dispute …

Sdlp After 20: Sustainable Development In The Anthropocene, David Hunter

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

This volume marks the 20th anniversary of Sustainable Development Law and Policy (SDLP) published by the students of American University’s Washington College of Law. SDLP was founded to explore the legal and policy dimensions of sustainable development (i.e. the simultaneous pursuit, or integration, of economic development, environmental protection, and social welfare). During its twenty years, SDLP has provided a forum for scholars, practitioners, and students to analyze the complex challenges to achieving economic and social justice within the constraints of our planet’s natural environment. From its first volume addressing liability for carbon trading, the regulation of genetically modified organisms, and …

About Page, Sustainable Development Law And Policy Brief

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

The Sustainable Development Law & Policy Brief (ISSN 1552-3721) is a student-run initiative at American University Washington College of Law that is published twice each academic year. The Brief embraces an interdisciplinary focus to provide a broad view of current legal, political, and social developments. It was founded to provide a forum for those interested in promoting sustainable economic development, conservation, environmental justice, and biodiversity throughout the world.

Because our publication focuses on reconciling the tensions found within our ecosystem, it spans a broad range of environmental issues such as sustainable development; trade; renewable energy; environmental justice; air, water, and …