Transnational environmental law, 2024, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 428-452Reflexive environmental law (REL) enables an understanding of how law builds potential for private company reflexivity. Reflexivity helps to avoid lock-in, and enhances learning and self-organization to resolve complex sustainability challenges. Thus far, REL theory has excluded traditional command-and-control regulation as a form of REL. This limits the potential of REL to understand how legislation can drive reflexivity and create more effective governance. Our framework expands the definition of REL and sets out six types of regulatory instrument found in legislation that may, or may not, constitute forms of REL. The framework comprises three reflexive drivers – autonomy, accountability, and adjustability – and, under these, eleven REL techniques. Through examples taken from European environmental legislation, we explain the drivers’ relationship with different regulatory instruments. This taxonomy empowers regulators and scholars to understand both the reflexive potential of regulatory instruments and the possibility to make instruments more reflexive in specific contexts.
The European Union is strongly urbanised, with 432 urban nodes identified. This vast array of urban hubs has a significant economic and geographical value. Urban nodes are critical to the [...]
Reducing carbon emission in the wastewater treatment sector requires both lower energy consumption and a transition towards renewable energy sources. Utilizing the embedded energy in wastewater, which has been traditionally [...]
In this report, we focus on the fundamentals of energy and climate policy as reformulated in the EU Green Deal. The 2024 edition of this report includes updates following the [...]
The European Commission’s Communication directed to consumers regarding the Green Transition does not emphasise their shared responsibility. Instead, the Commission puts the emphasis on empowering consumers to make green choices. [...]
This article provides an overview of the most relevant cases decided by the Court of Justice of the European Union concerning contract law. The present issue covers the period between [...]
This article provides an overview of the most relevant cases decided by the Court of Justice of the European Union concerning contract law. The present issue covers the period between [...]
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