Thinking (and acting) locally in the legal protection of the environment

Environmental problems and their consequences usually do not take into consideration country or regional borders. On the other hand, law and regulation can only be applied and enforced within a certain jurisdiction. International Environmental Law intends to address, and at least minimise, large-scale problems across the world. However, its instruments are more based on aspirational provisions which are not easily enforced. National environmental legal frameworks usually are understood as the most effective ones, as they are composed of a wider combination of mechanisms which make it easier for public authorities and courts to apply them. Nonetheless, even within national jurisdictions there are different realities, landscapes, ecosystems, and social communities, which cannot be easily regulated in the same way. This talk intends to analyse examples of how local and place-based legal mechanisms can contribute to the wider protection of the environment, including at the global level. Let us start locally!