Using environmental law

Implementing environmental law
Using environmental protection legislation
Enforcing environmental law

Description

Using environmental law involves applying legal frameworks and regulations to prevent, mitigate, or remedy environmental harm. This strategy enforces compliance with standards, holds polluters accountable, and provides mechanisms for redress through litigation or administrative action. It aims to protect ecosystems, public health, and natural resources by establishing clear obligations and penalties, empowering authorities and citizens to address violations, and promoting sustainable practices through enforceable legal means.

Context

Environmental law functions within the legal system for the interests of the environment. Like any law it can be an extremely powerful regulatory tool, as it sets rules and standards to which parties must abide to, and applies disincentive penalties such as sanctions if the law is broken. Environmental law is regarded as an essential element for achieving sustainability.

Implementation

The Environmental Law Foundation is a UK non-profit company with access to a large network of advisers with legal, academic and environmental expertise who can represent community groups involved in environmental disputes. The Foundation has also published a Litigation Pack on private prosecutions, noise pollution, incinerators, landfills, fund-raising, etc.

Environmental Litigation Associates (ELA) is a consortium of practicing consultants formed to provide the legal community with an integrated team of advisers and expert witnesses in the environmental sciences and engineering.