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FUNDAMENTAL CHALLENGES OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAW 109 Summary Over the past decades, environmental policies in developed countries have been clearly dominated by the use of legal instruments, with measures focusing on damage prevention, pollution reduction and the symptomatic treatment of existing problems, as well as on visible point sources, even as the pressure on the environment and the use of natural resources have both increased in absolute terms. In the context of the rule of law, of course, the law and legal instruments must play a prominent role; however, this role can only be played effectively by legislation if society as a whole is aware that the law itself is only an instrument, even though it is an instrument which has indeed determined the functioning of societies for thousands of years. It is easy to see that legal instruments should not be taken for a sort of panacea. Unfortunately, due to the complexity and interconnectedness of environmental problems, we still lack sufficient information, scientific evidence, reliable indicators, and understanding of the workings and drivers of environmental change. We have no precise knowledge of the limits, nor a clear ability to justify the costs of action or, where appropriate, inaction. Therefore, much more emphasis should be placed on the use of other means of raising environmental awareness, on environmental education and training, on exchanging experience and good practice, on transferring knowledge and skills, and on persuasion, in addition to (not instead of!) legal instruments. This will of course have a knock-on effect on the approach of legislators and practitioners, which could ultimately lead to a further ‘greening’ of the legal system as a whole. References Bándi, Gyula 2013. A fenntarthatóság értelmezésének egyes jogi szempontjai ISome Legal Aspects of the Interpretation of Sustainability]. Akadémiai nagydoktori thesis, PPKE. Bándi, Gyula (ed.) 2022. Környezetjog [Environmental law]. Budapest, Szent Istvan Társulat. Bodansky, Daniel — Brunnée, Jutta — Rajamani, Lavanya 2017. International Climate Change Law. Oxford, Oxford University Press. Boyle, Alan — Redgwell, Catherine 2021. Birnie, Boyle, and Redgwell’s International Law and the Environment. Fourth Edition. Oxford, Oxford University Press. Bruhács, János 2011. Nemzetközi jog II. Különös rész IInternational law II. Special Part. Budapest, Ludovika Egyetemi Kiadó. Delreux, Tom — Happaerts, Sander 2016. Environmental Policy and Politics in the European Union. London, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. Dupuy, Pierre-Marie — Vifuales, Jorge E. 2018. International Environmental Law. Second Edition. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Faragó, Tibor 2021. Közös környezetünk és a globalizáció. Árnyak és remények (Our Common Environment and Globalization]. Budapest, Akadémiai Kiadó. Kende, Tamás — Nagy, Boldizsár — Sonnevend, Pál — Valki, László (eds.) 2014. Nemzetközi jog Unternational Law]. Budapest, Wolters Kluwer Kft. Kotzé, Louis J. 2012. Global Environmental Governance. Law and Regulation for the 21st Century. Cheltenham, Edward Elgar Publishing. Kramer, Ludwig 2012. Az Euröpai Uni6 környezeti joga [EU Environmental Law]. Budapest — Pécs, Dialóg Campus Kiadó.
