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1.5. Regulatory Concepts in Environmental Codifications similarly prioritize values that view nature as the created world. A central issue in this approach is the role and responsibility of humanity in safe-guarding creation. By fulfilling its obligations to protect the entirety of creation, humanity also benefits from its resources and blessings. “Each community can take from the bounty of the earth whatever it needs for subsistence, but it also has the duty to protect the earth and to ensure its fruitfulness for coming generations.” “Together with our obligation to use the earth’s goods responsibly, we are called to recognize that other living beings have a value of their own in God’s eyes: ‘by their mere existence they bless him and give him glory’,[41] and indeed, ‘the Lord rejoices in all his works’ (Ps 104:31).”* This work does not aim to compare the philosophical underpinnings of various environmental approaches and legal codifications. Instead, it seeks to underscore the critical importance of regional and global environmental protection. In the pursuit of more effective strategies, a relatively novel phenomenon has emerged within the framework of the third regulatory concept discussed earlier: the Rights of Nature paradigm. The objective of this study is not to provide a detailed analysis of the effectiveness of this phenomenon but to draw on findings from prior research. In the concluding chapter, an evaluation of environmental protection is presented, informed by the social teachings of the Catholic Church. 1.5.1. Creation Protection Approach Religions have significantly influenced the development of humanity’s relationship with the natural environment, with Christianity playing a particularly prominent role. The Christian Church, as an institution operating within the world, seeks to comprehensively interpret both its own role and the broader created order. This includes analysing the interconnections within the created world, the immediate existential conditions of its inhabitants, and the ultimate purpose of creation, including the roles and functions of created beings within the divine framework. (apostolic letter, 14 May 1971), Acta Apostolicae Sedis 63, no. 8 (1971): 401-44; Pope John Paul II, Laborem Exercens (encyclical, 14 September 1981), Acta Apostolicae Sedis 73, no. 9 (1981): 577-647; Pope John Paul II, Solicitudo Rei Socialis (encyclical, 30 December 1987), Acta Apostolicae Sedis 80, no. 5 (1988): 513-86; Pope John Paul IT, Centesimus Annus (encyclical, 1 May 1991), Acta Apostolicae Sedis 83, no. 10 (1991): 793-867. Pope Francis, Laudate Deum, para. 67. 8 Tbid., para. 69. 47 25
