Environmental legislation can include deforestation laws.
Environmental legislation is the set of laws that are aimed at protecting the environment . These are those regulations that establish obligations aimed at minimizing the damage that activities and behaviors can cause to the planet.
It should be noted that legislation is the body of regulations through which the government of a State is carried out or a certain matter is regulated. Environmental , meanwhile, is an adjective with several uses: in this case we are interested in its meaning as that which is linked to the environment (a term that refers to several issues; among them, the natural environment).
Environmental legislation concept
Environmental legislation establishes the legal framework that orders conduct in relation to its impact on the environment . Broadly speaking, it can be stated that these guidelines indicate to people, companies and governments how they must act to avoid legal sanctions associated with the generation of ecological damage.
These environmental protection laws constitute the system known as environmental law , focused on the link between humans and nature. Conserving biological diversity, minimizing pollution and preserving natural resources are some of the objectives of this branch of law.
Biodiversity conservation laws, hazardous waste regulations, water quality directives and air pollution regulations are part of environmental legislation. To the impositions set by the State are added the criteria and standards applied by companies as part of their corporate social responsibility ( CSR ) and by individuals themselves in their daily lives according to what their conscience dictates.
There are vehicle emissions standards set by environmental legislation.
Its importance
Environmental legislation has an impact in multiple areas. Its most direct effects have to do with the preservation of ecology : air, water, soil, living beings, etc. Changes in the natural balance cause multiple problems, both in the present and in the long term.
These laws also allow you to take care of your health . High levels of pollution influence people's well-being, so ensuring clean water and air, for example, is a way to help the population stay healthy.
By protecting natural resources, labor law also safeguards cultural practices and ways of life . Even specialists maintain that this type of regulations contributes to economic savings by reducing public health costs.
Pesticide and fertilizer regulations are part of environmental legislation.
Environmental legislation and climate change
Environmental legislation plays a fundamental role in the fight against global warming . Climate change regulations include, for example, pollutant emission standards.
It is important to take into account how the increase in planetary temperature occurs. The sun's rays, as they pass through the atmosphere, heat the planetary surface and a part of them bounces back to outer space. However, the accumulation of greenhouse gases due to pollution means that solar radiation cannot escape again. That is why the temperature on Earth increases.
In this way, greenhouse gas emissions regulations are key. At the international level there are agreements such as the Paris Agreement and the Kyoto Protocol that establish restrictions and measures, in many cases of a mandatory nature for the signatories.
It cannot be omitted to mention that climate change causes everything from the melting of glaciers (with the consequent increase in sea level and, therefore, the risk of flooding) to desertification , including an accentuation in the intensity of storms. . These issues lead many people to leave their homes and migrate.
Regulation of other areas
The scope of environmental legislation is varied. There are recycling laws , solid waste management standards, environmental noise regulations, light pollution directives, and electronic waste regulations, to name a few possibilities.
As can be seen, the repercussions of these rules influence all types of activities. The State is authorized to require manufacturers of certain products to include a certain percentage of recycled materials, for example. At the same time, it can force citizens to separate their household waste and drive in vehicles that do not generate noise higher than a certain amount of decibels.
The purpose of the regulations, in all cases, is to preserve the environment and care for well-being . Like the rest of the laws, they pursue the common good or the interests of the majority.
Resistance to environmental legislation
Despite everything mentioned, environmental legislation usually encounters resistance from part of society. On the one hand, for companies to comply with these regulations it can imply a higher cost , which reduces profits.
Forest conservation laws, to refer to a specific case, prevent cutting down trees. This affects the activity of logging companies and those that produce paper, for example. The responsible mining laws , meanwhile, establish obligations for the protagonists of the mining industry.
Citizens may also show reluctance to environmental legislation when it forces them to change habits. There are responsible consumption laws and ecotourism regulations, among others, that restrict individual freedom for the benefit of society as a whole.