Physical environment and sustainability

The upcoming years, the government faces a crucial and ambitious mandate to address numerous significant societal challenges. These challenges encompass countering climate change and biodiversity loss, enabling and stimulating a comprehensive energy transition, promoting and expediting housing construction, transitioning to circular agriculture, enhancing water quality, and ensuring a safe and healthy living environment. It is important to recognize that each of these transitions profoundly impacts the physical environment.

To navigate and manage these complex tasks, environmental law plays a pivotal role by providing essential tools and standards for the government and society at large. Environmental law acts as a dynamic legal field that is heavily influenced by international and European legislation. As a result, the legal landscape continuously evolves, and judicial interpretation is subject to change.

Our particular focus lies in studying environmental law from the perspectives of administrative law and constitutional law. We are deeply interested in understanding the social implications of legally structured transitions within the physical environment. In this regard, the international and European dimensions are indispensable. Our research centers around analyzing new legislation such as the Climate Act (Klimaatwet) and the Environment and Planning Act (Omgevingswet), exploring legal instruments such as the environment plan, the program, and the duty of care, and examining social developments such as participation and controlling the use of (environmental) space. By delving into these areas, we aim to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of environmental law and its role in shaping sustainable and responsible practices in society.

• Dorien Bakker
• Lolke Braaksma
• Arjan Bregman
• Herman Bröring
• Kars de Graaf
• Peter Mendelts
• Bas Tadema
• Hanna Tolsma
• Gerrit van der Veen