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

这项研究解决了法律如何约束和促进英国的环境决策。重点是多尺度的土地治理。使用社会法律和比较方法，研究考察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实施；以及在地方范围内实施生态土地治理的组织和团体的案例研究。将评估法律在环境决策中的作用，并在每一种情况下提出建议。其目的是对英国的土地治理进行深入研究，在地方层面测试英国环境法和生态土地管理方面的创新，并制定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的相关性具有更广泛的公众利益。法律和政策如何约束和促进积极的环境决策的中心问题在整个解决。为应对当前的全球环境挑战，需要进行有效的环境决策，这是公认的。土地治理在社会、经济和政治生活中一直占据着中心地位，构成生计，维持经济活动，并作为政治组织的基础。人们日益认识到，地方生态土地管理- -保护或再生环境并使地方社区受益的土地管理- -具有应付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，需要在当地社区的参与下，通过对不同规模的自然资源进行可持续管理，应对气候变化和贫困等全球挑战。在英国，环境事务主要是下放的行政部门的责任，在各自的制度中存在相当大的分歧和创新。威尔士在《2015年后代福利（威尔士）法》中规定了公共机构的总体“福利目标”；在《2016年环境（威尔士）法》中对自然资源进行可持续管理；并在规划政策中提倡低影响发展。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》中规定了土地再分配改革。北爱尔兰则讲述了一个环境治理赤字的不同故事。英国政府目前正在提出一项新的环境治理制度，以应对英国可能退出欧盟：《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》规定了新的农业环境体系；《25年环境规划》提出了新的“环境土地管理制度”。每个地方政府都在制定自己的建议。在这项立法改革中，承认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地方规模的生态土地管理方面进行了许多创新的地方。本研究的核心问题是：英国环境法和生态土地管理的现有创新能否整合到一个有效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律、政治和社会学学院进行的，由苏塞克斯法学院院长兼环境法教授Donald McGillivray教授和财产法讲师Bonnie Holligan博士监督。

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.