Back to the land: legislative design for ecological land governance in the UK

这项研究阐述了法律如何约束和促进英国的环境决策。重点放在多个尺度的土地治理上。该研究采用社会法律和比较方法，审查了两个主要的法律背景：土地治理框架及其在每个下放国家的执行情况；以及在地方范围内实行生态土地治理的组织和团体的案例研究。评估了法律在环境决策中的作用，并将在每种情况下提出建议。其目的是提供对英国土地治理的深入研究，测试英国环境法和地方规模的生态土地管理的创新，并列出从地方到国家层面促进积极环境决策所需的立法设计。这项研究与环境治理和环境组织相关，具有更广泛的公众利益。法律和政策如何限制和促进积极的环境决策的核心问题得到了彻底的解决，人们充分认识到有效的环境决策的必要性，以应对当前的全球环境挑战。土地治理在社会、经济和政治生活中一直占据中心地位，它为生计制定框架，维持经济活动，并作为政治组织的基础。人们越来越认识到，地方生态土地管理--保护或再生环境并使当地社区受益的土地管理--具有应对全球环境挑战的潜力。《巴黎协定》和《2030年可持续发展议程》等国际法律制度承认，需要在不同规模的自然资源的可持续管理和当地社区的参与下，应对气候变化和贫困的全球挑战。在英国，环境事务主要由权力下放的行政当局负责，各制度之间存在着相当大的分歧和创新。威尔士在《2015年子孙后代福祉(威尔士)法案》、《2016年环境(威尔士)自然资源可持续管理法案》和《规划政策中的低影响发展》中规定了公共机构的总体福利目标。苏格兰在2015年《社区赋权(苏格兰)法》和2016年《土地改革(苏格兰)法》中规定了再分配土地改革。北爱尔兰讲述了一个不同的环境治理赤字的故事。英国政府目前正在提出一个新的环境治理制度，以应对英国即将退出欧盟的前景：2018年环境原则和治理法案草案，建立一个新的执行机构；2017年农业法案，规定新的农业环境系统；以及25年环境计划，提出新的“环境土地管理制度”。每个被下放的政府都在制定自己的提案。在这项立法改革中，承认了地方社区在环境治理中的作用。英国确实是慈善组织和社区团体在当地规模的生态土地管理方面进行许多创新的地方。这项研究的核心问题是：英国环境法和生态土地管理方面的现有创新能否被整合到一个有效地实现积极环境影响的立法框架中？这项研究是在苏塞克斯大学法学院、环境法教授唐纳德·麦吉利夫雷教授和财产法讲师邦妮·霍利根博士的指导下进行的。

This research addresses how law constrains and facilitates environmental decision-making in the UK. The focus is on land governance at multiple scales. Using socio-legal and comparative methodologies, the research examines two main legal contexts: land governance frameworks and their implementation in each devolved nation; and case studies of organisations and groups practising ecological land governance at local scale. The role of law in environmental decision-making is assessed and recommendations will be provided in each context. The intention is to provide an in-depth study of land governance in the UK, test innovations in UK environmental law and ecological land management at local scales and set out the legislative design needed to facilitate positive environmental decision-making from local to national levels. The research is of wider public interest in its relevance for environmental governance and for environmental organisations. The central question of how law and policy constrain and facilitate positive environmental decision-making is addressed throughout.The need for effective environmental decision-making in response to current global environmental challenges is well-recognised. Land governance has always occupied a central place in social, economic and political life, framing livelihoods, sustaining economic activity and acting as the basis for political organisation. There is growing recognition that local ecological land management - land management that protects or regenerates the environment and benefits local communities - has the potential to meet global environmental challenges. International legal regimes, for example the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, acknowledge the need to address global challenges of climate change and poverty through sustainable management of natural resources at different scales and with participation of local communities.In the UK, environmental matters are primarily the responsibility of the devolved administrations and there is considerable divergence and innovation in the respective regimes. Wales has provided for overarching 'well-being objectives' for public bodies in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015; for sustainable management of natural resources in the Environment (Wales) Act 2016; and for low-impact development in its planning policy. Scotland has provided for redistributive land reform in the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 and the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016. Northern Ireland tells a different story of a deficit of environmental governance. The UK Government is currently proposing a new environmental governance regime in response to the prospective UK withdrawal from the European Union: a draft Environmental Principles and Governance Bill 2018 establishing a new enforcement body; an Agriculture Bill 2017 providing for a new agri-environment system; and the 25 Year Environment Plan proposing a new 'environmental land management system.' Each devolved administration is developing its own proposals. Within this legislative reform there is recognition of the role of local communities in environmental governance. The UK is indeed the location of much innovation in ecological land management at local scale by charitable organisations and community groups. The central question of this research is: can existing innovations in UK environmental law and ecological land management be integrated into a legislative framework that is effective in achieving a positive environmental impact?The research is undertaken at the University of Sussex, School of Law, Politics and Sociology under the supervision of Professor Donald McGillivray, Head of Sussex Law School and Professor of Environmental Law, and Dr Bonnie Holligan, Lecturer in Property Law.