Sustainability as a governing norm of sustainable development in contemporary environmental law

Abstract

This paper investigates the role of sustainability as a governing norm of sustainable development in the context of contemporary environmental law. The concept of sustainability has been widely discussed in the literature as an overarching goal of development, with a focus on economic, social, and environmental dimensions. This paper examines the concept of sustainability as it is encoded in environmental law, especially in the context of principles of international law related to sustainable development. It assesses how sustainability is used in contemporary environmental law, and whether it serves as an effective tool for protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development. The paper identifies a range of different uses of sustainability as a governing norm and discusses their relative strengths and weaknesses, as well as their potential for shaping environmental policies. The findings suggest that sustainability as a governing norm of sustainable development has been fairly successful in providing a clear and consistent vision of sustainable development, although its actual implementation has been inconsistent.