Research subject Environmental Law

Environmental law is the legal field concerning the protection of health, the environment and the use of natural resources. This for example includes rules and procedures concerning pollution of soil and water, conditions for industrial activities, exploitation of natural resources and protection of sensitive environments and biodiversity.

There is no sharp divide as to what “is” environmental law; hence legal issues such as animal welfare, food security and occupational safety are close to the topics of environmental law. As a discipline, environmental law is also only a few decades old, although there have of course been legal rules and legal conflicts over natural resources for a long time. However, the subject is becoming increasingly important - both at national and global level.

Today, there exists a host of specific principles of environmental law, but this field also embraces elements of private law, administrative law, penal law, procedural law, EU law and public international law. Research on environmental law at Stockholm University has been characterised by international, European, (EU), and comparative perspectives.