The well-being of humanity and of all other species is threatened by the rapid and accelerating worldwide deterioration of ecosystems, and therefore of the support base that they provide for life on the Earth. This deterioration is largely due to the cumulative pressures placed by human living on ecosystems and biodiversity. Dr Olivia Woolley, a lecturer in environmental and energy law of the School of Law of the University of Aberdeen, is a leading legal academic thinker on how this perilous situation can be addressed. Her monograph, Ecological Governance (Cambridge University Press, 2014) proposes new approaches to governing human activities with a view to improving ecosystem protection. As a specialist in the field of ecological law, Dr Woolley was invited to participate in the first meeting of the Ecological Law and Governance Association. This took place on 12 and 13 October 2017 at the University of Siena in Italy, and involved participants from several EU states, North America, South America, Africa and Australasia. ELGA is a network of academics, professionals and organisations which seeks to support ecological integrity and a mutually enhancing human-Earth relationship by bringing about systemic change in legal and governance systems. The meeting considered the challenges confronting a shift from environmental to ecological law, the goals that ELGA should pursue in light of those challenges and the development of a work plan through which it can advance its objectives. Dr Woolley looks forward to participating in ELGA’s future activities, and to reporting on its contributions to addressing ecological problems. More information about ELGA can be found at: https://www.elga.world/.
Dr Olivia Woolley participated in the first meeting of the Ecological Law and Governance Association