Ecocentric Constitutional Law: What, Why, and How

As the global climate crisis grows more dire, it seems increasingly clear that contemporary environmental law has failed to deliver on its promise of “sustainability”. One key driver behind this failure is the law’s susceptibility to unchecked, reckless economic interests. Ecocentric constitutional law, or “eco-constitutionalism”, possesses unique qualities that can facilitate the restructuring of law and society around fundamental ecological interests. This presentation will provide a broad overview of what eco-constitutionalism is, why it may be useful for mitigating climate change, and how it might be legitimately implemented in the absence of the strong political consensus typically required for constitutional reform.

Mark Howard (he/him) is a South African born Pākehā (white New Zealander) pursuing his PhD in Law at the Peter A Allard School of Law, the University of British Columbia. He holds an LLB/BA conjoint and LLM with Distinction from Waipapa Taumata Rau | The University of Auckland. Mark’s research interests include environmental law, decolonial jurisprudence, and constitutional law. When fleeing the library he is often found hiking, swimming, and getting rolled by large waves while vaguely bodysurfing.