Part I General Issues, Ch.2 The Evolution of International Environmental Law
Peter H. Sand
From: The Oxford Handbook of International Environmental Law
Edited By: Daniel Bodansky, Jutta Brunnée, Ellen Hey
- Subject(s):
- Treaties, interpretation — Specific treaties — Sustainable development — Environmental disputes
Few legal disciplines have evolved as rapidly as international environmental law, which is variously described as a ‘special field’, a ‘new branch’, or an emergent ‘autonomous special area’ of international law. Although some would contest, or at least qualify, this claim to autonomy—mainly on the grounds that there is presently no overall systemic coherence, let alone authoritative codification, of the diverse international norms applicable (see Chapter 7 ‘Relationship between International Environmental Law and Other Branches of International Law’)—the debate is...
