This special issue on ‘Law and Governance in the Anthropocene’ brings together scholars from the disciplines of law and international relations to examine the ramifications of the Anthropocene for global governance and international law. The predominant focus of the literature to date has been understandably on defining the Anthropocene and on assessing what it means for the validity of longstanding viewpoints. However, more attention must be given to the specific changes needed in international relations and law in practice and as disciplines to adjust to the reality of human-driven planetary change. Thus, it aims to build upon existing scholarship by developing specific governance responses to the challenges of the Anthropocene. This introductory article provides a brief outline of the larger workshop project which led to this special issue and offers a synopsis of the included articles. It concludes with some comments on the possible future directions for both scholarship and for legal and political practice.
Photo by Anna Shvets