Abstract

While the focus of earth system governance is on the human-social aspects of Earth system changes, law has played a peripheral part in the earth system governance scientific agenda. Earth system governance perspectives have also not significantly infiltrated the juridical domain. In this paper we seek to initiate a debate on the juridical dimensions of earth system governance. We make out a case in support of developing a new overarching legal phenomenon that, more than environmental law (among others) comprehensively accommodates and encapsulates the juridical aspects of earth system governance, including a new accompanying research agenda. We call this new legal phenomenon 'earth system law'. Earth system law, as we aim to show, could introduce a new era in legal scholarship, while seeking to comprehensively respond to the regulatory challenges presented by a changing Earth system in the Anthropocene.