Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development: The Difficulties of Environmental International Law

From the time of the United Nations Environment and Development Conference (UNEDC), it seems practically impossible to disconnect the issues of evelopment and environmental protection. Does this imply a risk for the viability of international environmental law as an autonomous branch of international law? This essay studies and evaluates the notion of “sustainable development” and its influence on the evolution of international environmental law. It also reflects on whether there have been legal changes that advance in the task of the objectives of sustainable development. The conclusions underline the risks implicit in the politization of environmental issues vis à vis the production of international legal instruments in this area.