Environmental Law

Environmental law, also known as environmental and natural resources law, is a term that refers to the rules, statutes, local, state, national, and international legislation, and treaties that are designed to protect the environment from harm and to explain the legal ramifications of that harm to governments, private entities, and individuals. It covers a wide range of topics, as we'll see in the next part, all with the same goal in mind. The word "environmental law" does not, however, refer solely to government legislation. It can also refer to a desire on the part of corporations and other organisations, as well as their regulators, to improve ethical values by establishing regulations and industry standards for operating licences. These are not "laws" in the traditional sense, but they function as such within a regulatory framework. It can also employ a land-management strategy based on a shared notion of acting responsibly and ethically. Similarly, while an impact assessment is not necessarily necessary by law, if one is not completed, permission to build, construct, modify, or engineer may be denied. These are voluntary restrictions, not laws, implemented for the benefit of the environment and the local community. Environmental law has always been a source of contention for a variety of reasons.