9d. Legal Aspects of Sustainable Development

Track chairs:

Volker Mauerhofer. Mid Sweden University, Sweden. volker.mauerhofer@miun.se

Anikó Grad-Gyenge. Department of Business Law, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary. aniko.gyenge@gmail.com

Goals and objectives of the track:

The goal of this track is to discuss principles, key concepts, methods and applications of legal aspects of Sustainability. We will further map opportunities of and challenges for legal aspects in a sustainable development in various thematic and strategic subjects, thereby contributing to the development of these domains scientifically and practically. The topic related to all three dimensions of sustainable development (environmental, social, economic) and interdisciplinary contributions among and beyond these dimensions are highly encouraged and welcome.

Contributions from the followings areas are sought-after:

Empirical (qualitatively and/or quantitatively data backed) and theoretical contributions
Philosophical and historical analysis; case studies; conceptual developments & assessments; descriptions of newly developed methods and their practical application.
Deductive and inductive studies; thematically horizontal or sectorial papers; studies of policy mixes among environmental, social and/or economic instruments; de lege lata and/or de lege ferenda essays.
Local studies with a potential wider application; comparisons of nations or other spatial units; analysis of re-gional integration; multilevel interplay.
Studies of Common Law and/or Continental Law (public, private and/or criminal/penal law), with a special regard to the environmental problems,
Contributions about soft law, binding and/or non-binding instruments, best practices, industry self-regulatory tools, formal and customary institutions,
The role of sustainability law for institutional change and government policy also towards future generations
Single (case) studies or comparisons related to strategies, plans, programs, conflict of interests and/or trade-offs among different values and interests. Studies related to any stakeholders.
Studies on substantial rights (such as human rights) and procedural rights (such as public participation (such as access to information, participation in procedures and access to justice)
Innovative local, national, regional & international legal principles/approaches towards more sustainability incl. e.g. degrowth law, green economy law, soft law & customary law
Legal institutions and inter-/intragenerational justice on the pathway towards a sustainable transitions
Legislative, administrative, judicial decision-making & enforcement by law in terms of priority setting, ignorance, uncertainty, risk, conflicts of interest and trade-offs; absolute and relative achievements by law
The role of law for property rights, new commons, intellectual property, the Post2015 Agenda & Sustainable Development Goals
Gender, planetary boundaries and/or ecosystem services, footprint, sustainable production & consumption, rebound effect, cooperate social responsibility, quality management, environmental reporting etc.
Sustainable development elements of efficiency, effectiveness and sufficiency, environmental, social and economic capital, capacity and carrying capacity, also with the back ground of population questions

Each proposed contribution (in connection to one of the areas pointed out above) shall separately:

indicate to which SDG(s) and SDG-target(s) their proposed abstract especially relate to (besides SDG 16 and/or 17).
provide a brief indication how the proposed contribution relates to the topic of the Conference ("SUSTAINABILITY IN TRANSFORMING SOCIETIES").

Papers which do not outline points a) AND b) will not be given special consideration in the selection for potential publications.

With regard to potential publications, depending on the number and quality of contributions:

1. The Journal of Cleaner Production (https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-cleaner-production) Impact Factor 2018 = 6,358) already asked to submit a proposal for an open-call Special Issue on law, governance and policy.

2. A separate global volume on SDGs and law can be envisaged in the ISDRS-Routledge Series (https://isdrs.org/routledge/)

3. A publication opportunity in the journal Periodica Politechnica (Social and Management Sciences; https://pp.bme.hu/so) can be offered

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