Environmental law

Environmental law (pronunciation: /ɪnˌvaɪrənˈmɛntəl lɔː/) is a collective term encompassing aspects of the law that provide protection to the environment. A related, but distinct set of regulatory regimes, now strongly influenced by environmental legal principles, focus on the management of specific natural resources, such as forests, minerals, or fisheries. Other areas, such as environmental impact assessment, may not fit neatly into either category, but are nonetheless important components of environmental law.

Etymology

The term "environmental law" comes from the combination of the words "environment" and "law". The word "environment" comes from the French environner, meaning "to surround", and "law" originates from the Old English lagu, meaning something laid down or fixed.

Related Terms

Environmental policy: The commitment of an organization or government to the laws, regulations, and other policy mechanisms concerning environmental issues.
Sustainability: The ability to exist constantly. In the 21st century, it refers generally to the capacity for the biosphere and human civilization to coexist.
Conservation (ethic): Ethic of resource use, allocation, and protection. Its primary focus is upon maintaining the health of the natural world: its forests, fisheries, habitats, and biological diversity.
Pollution: The introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change.
Natural resource: Resources (actual and potential) that exist in the environment without the intervention of humankind.