Anita Boros, Gyula Koi (eds): Sustainability and Law
›
3. Legal and administrative theoretical foundations of sustainability and environmental protection (László Vértesy)
›
3.2. Positive law
›
3.2.2. International law and European Union law

3.2.2. International law and European Union law

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

International sustainability issues need cross-national collaboration and legal regulation. It is these treaties, norms, and agreements that predominately shape the global harmonisation of norms regarding sustainability.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (abbr. SDGs) set a form of global preference that identifies and establishes common ground among human well-being, environmental integrity, and economic growth.1 The concept of sustainable development was introduced in the 1987 United Nations Brundtland Commission Report Our Common Future; and referenced in the report as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” 2 This principle of development has guided cooperation in developing global sustainability goals. On June 13, 1992, the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro (also named, officially, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, UNCED) brought together 178 nations to adopt Agenda 21 (referring to the goal of the 21st century),3 which is a non-binding (!) action plan for the achievement of sustainable development targetting one goal across the globe.4 The agenda includes the so-called Kyoto Protocol, where developed nations would agree to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by, on average, 5.2%, between 2008 and 2012 based on the baseline year of 1990.5 . The original fifteen Member States of the European Union committed themselves to an 8 % reduction, but some countries, like Hungary, aimed at a slightly smaller reduction of 6%.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

At the turn of the millennium, the UN Millennium Summit had a unanimous agreement on the Millennium Declaration which included eight Millennium Development Goals (abbr. MDGs)6 to reduce extreme and severe poverty by 2015.7 The 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg resulted in both the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development and that blended with the Plan of Implementation (Plan). These two documents recognised the development goals and made strong references to the earlier climate change, poverty and sustainable consumption issues.8 Exactly a decade later, the 2012 Rio+20 Summit resulted in ‘The Future We Want’ and focused efforts to redirect sustainable development.9

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

At its 2013 meeting, the UN agreed to set up a thirty-member open working group to develop sustainable development goals. The open working group produced the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which all UN Member States adopted at the 2015 meeting, as a common and joint vision on how to ensure peace, prosperity and to preserve the planet; it articulated 17 sustainable development goals.
 
The UN’s 17 Sustainable Developments Goal. Source: Kang, H., Kim, J. (2022): Analysing and visualising text information in corporate sustainability reports using natural language processing methods. Applied Sciences, Vol. 12. No. 11. 5614. https://doi.org/10.3390/app12115614

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Social equity
Social development
4. Goal
5. Goal
10. Goal
Quality education
Gender equality
Reduced inequalities
11. Goal
16. Goal
17. Goal
Sustainable cities and communities
Peace justice and strong institutions
Partnership for the goals
Economic life
Economic and technological development
1. Goal
2. Goal
3. Goal
No Poverty
Zero hunger
Good health and well-being
8. Goal
9. Goal
Decent work and economic growth
Industry, innovation, and infrastructure
Environmental resources
Environment
6. Goal
7. Goal
12. Goal
14. Goal
Clean water and sanitation
Affordable and clean energy
Responsible consumption and production
Life below water
13. Goal
15. Goal
Climate actions
Life on land
 

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

In 2015, three additional main international documents were adopted: Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (abbr. AAAA) on Financing for Development, and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change (Fr. Accord de Paris) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (abbr. UNFCCC), which established global objectives for confronting climate change. Thus, the Paris Agreement represents a major step in the fight against climate change, as it legally binds countries to greenhouse gas (abbr. GHG) emissions reduction targets. Its text (Article 2) includes three objectives to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change, in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty, including by:10

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

  • holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, recognising that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change;
  • increasing the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development in a manner that does not threaten food production;
  • making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development.
 

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

The European Union has committed to balancing environmental protection, social justice, and economic growth through several legal instruments and initiatives. The founding treaties of the European Union, such as the Maastricht Treaty, the Treaty of Rome, and the Treaty of Lisbon, include the principle of sustainable development. The Treaty of Lisbon clearly states that the EU’s objective is sustainable development, integrating economic growth, social cohesion, and environmental protection. These efforts were integrated into the Treaty on the European Union (abbr. TEU) and Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (abbr. TFEU). For the detailed implementation, the EU has adopted several specific pieces of legislation in various areas of sustainability, such as (i) environmental protection, (ii) energy, (iii) climate protection, and (iv) circular economy. Here are some notable examples:
 

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Figure 8. Selection from the European Union’s sustainability regulations. Source: Compiled by the author
Environmental protection
 
Waste management: the EU sets strict waste prevention, recycling, and incineration rules. The Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) sets out the waste hierarchy and the treatment requirements for each type of waste.
Water protection: the EU Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC, WFD) focuses on ensuring good qualitative and quantitative health, i.e., on reducing and removing pollution and on ensuring that there is enough water to support wildlife and human needs at the same time. Furthermore, all aquatic ecosystems must be maintained or brought to good status by 2027.
Air quality: the EU regulates air quality through several directives, such as reducing emissions of long-range air pollutants for ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe (Directive 2008/50/EC, Directive 1999/30/EC).
Nature conservation: the EU has set up the Natura 2000 network to conserve biodiversity with two directives: Directive 92/43/EEC: on the conservation of natural habitats of wild fauna and flora (Habitats Directive); Directive 2009/147/EC: on the conservation of wild birds (Birds Directive, earlier Directive 79/409/EEC).
Chemicals: Regulation 1907/2006 on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), establishing a European Chemicals Agency; Regulation 2019/1021 on persistent organic pollutants (abbr. POPs)
Energy
 
Renewable energy: the EU obliges Member States to increase the share of renewable energy sources (wind, solar, hydropower, etc.) in the energy mix for 2030. Directive 2018/2001/EU on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources.
Energy efficiency: the EU has a number of directives to encourage energy efficiency in buildings, households and industry. Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency to reduce the EU’s dependence on imported energy; cut emissions; drive jobs and growth; strengthen consumer rights; and alleviate energy poverty.
Climate protection
 
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions: the EU sets binding emission reduction targets for Member States. Directive 2003/87/EC on establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community (Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Directive, EU ETS).
Climate change adaptation: the EU supports Member States in adapting to the impacts of climate change.
Circular economy
Waste prevention: the EU supports a number of initiatives to prevent waste, such as reducing packaging waste. Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste.
Recycling of materials: the EU encourages the recycling of materials and the development of a circular economy.
 

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Recent decisions of the Court of Justice of the EU can be interpreted as supporting the claim that nature, as protected by EU law, already has legal rights that purely utilitarian interests cannot override and that these rights should be recognised and applied by national courts.11
 
1

United Nations (UN). (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. (New York City:United Nations). URL: https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda https://sdgs.un.org/publications

(accessed: 29 October 2024).

2

Harlem Brundtland, Khalid (1987) op. cit. Chapter 2: Towards Sustainable Development.

URL: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/5987our-common-future.pdf

3 United Nations Conference on Environment & Development, Rio de Janerio, Brazil, 3 to 14 June 1992, AGENDA 21, URL: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/Agenda21.pdf (accessed: 28 October 2024).
4

United Nations Conference on Environment & Development, Rio de Janerio, Brazil, 3-14 June 1992. ( https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/Agenda21.pdf) (accessed: 28 October 2024).

; another is the Rio Convention: Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992.

5

Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change. URL: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/HU/TXT/?uri=legissum:l28060 (accessed: 28 October 2024);

2002/358/EC: Council Decision of 25 April 2002 concerning the approval, on behalf of the European Community, of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the joint fulfilment of commitments thereunder. URL: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec/2002/358/oj/eng (accessed: 28 October 2024).

6 The eight MDGs: 1. to eliminate extreme poverty and hunger; 2. to achieve global primary education; 3. to empower women and promote gender equality; 4. to reduce child mortality; 5. to promote maternal health; 6. to fight malaria, HIV/AIDS, and other diseases; 7. to promote environmental sustainability; and 8. to develop a universal partnership for development.
7 Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee of 12 April 2005 - Accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals - The European Union's contribution [COM(2005) 132 final].
8 World Summit on Sustainable Development, 26 August-4 September 2002, Johannesburg URL: https://www.un.org/en/conferences/environment/johannesburg2002 (accessed: 28 October 2024); Political Declaration and Implementation Plan URL: https://undocs.org/en/A/CONF.199/20 (accessed: 28 October 2024).
9

The Future We Want - Declaration of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio (2012) URL: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/futurewewant.html; https://www.eea.europa.eu/policy-documents/the-future-we-want-2013declaration; URL: http://www.uncsd2012.org/content/documents/727The%252520Future%252520We%252520Want%25252019%252520June%2525201230pm.pdf%2520%2520

(accessed: 29 October 2024).

10 UN General Assembly, 2015 Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR); United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Paris Agreement (Paris Accords/Paris Climate Accords ) URL: http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2015/cop21/eng/l09r01.pdf (accessed: 29 October 2024).Sendai Framework: Paris Agreement on Climate Change, Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development, New Urban Agenda, Sustainable Development Goals.
11

Epstein, Y., Schoukens, H. (2021). The positivist approach to rights of nature in the European Union. Journal of Human Rights and the Environment,12(2) 205-227. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4337/jhre.2021.02.03;

Case C-444/15 Associazione Italia Nostra Onlus (2016) ECLI:EU:C:2016:978, paras 61–3.; Case C-24/19 A and others (2020) ECLI:EU:C:2020:503, para 44.; Case C-240/09 Lesoochranárske zoskupenie VLK I (2011) ECLI:EU:C:2011:125, paras 46–7.; Case C-243/15 Lesoochranárske zoskupenie VLK II [2016] ECLI:EU:C:2016:838, para 55.; Case C-197/18 Wasserleitungsverband Nördliches Burgenland (2019) ECLI:EU: C:2019:824, paras 33–4.

chevron_left
chevron_right
Tartalomjegyzék navigate_next
Keresés a kiadványban navigate_next
A kereséshez, kérjük, lépj be!
Könyvjelzőim navigate_next
A könyvjelzők használatához
be kell jelentkezned.
Jegyzeteim navigate_next
Jegyzetek létrehozásához
be kell jelentkezned.
    Kiemeléseim navigate_next
    Mutasd a szövegben:
    Szűrés:
    Kiemelések létrehozásához
    MeRSZ+ előfizetés szükséges.
      Útmutató elindítása
      delete
      Kivonat
      fullscreenclose
      printsave