3.5. Environmental Law and Sustainability

Environmental laws are a starting point for legal frameworks addressing sustainability, and agencies such as the U.S. EPA are working to incorporate sustainability concepts into the way in which they implement environmental laws and regulations (NRC, 2011). However, laws are limited in extent by political boundaries, whereas environmental degradation is not. While much can be done within national borders, legal frameworks promoting sustainability will eventually need to be international in scope.

The United Nations provides one arena in which international agreements on sustainability can take shape. Much of the work of the UN is organized around Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. Agenda 21 is a plan of action for promoting sustainability, adopted by more than 170 governments at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 3–14, 1992. The UN Commission on Sustainable Development was created to ensure effective follow-up on UNCED.