Individual environmental laws, such as those related to the climate or nature conservation, are not sufficient on their own to resolve environmental crises.

Or so says the University of Eastern Finland in a new international study that calls for decisive changes to the core structures of legal systems in their entirety.

The study sheds light on where legal pressure for change should be directed in order to address global environmental crises, and how the impacts of change can be assessed more effectively.

Published in Nature Sustainability, the study introduces a novel theory of change and an approach to the development of legal systems and legislative impact assessment. In particular, it responds to the escalating crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution as part of a broader sustainability transformation.

“In addition to wide-ranging legal reforms, change can be instigated by applying pressure to the key nodes within legal systems, where even small adjustments can have far-reaching consequences,” said Niko Soininen, professor of environmental law.

In the model, the core of Western legal systems is structured around six key concepts: property, contract, liability, authority, legal personhood and legal certainty. According to the study, changes targeted at these concepts may be decisive in addressing the challenges a radical shift to sustainability requires.

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