Rethinking Legal Frameworks: Network Approaches to Law in the Age of the Anthropocene

Traditional legal models, which typically emphasize linear cause-and-effect relationships, are increasingly inadequate for addressing the global and interconnected nature of contemporary environmental challenges. This poster investigates the intersection of emerging legal frameworks and the complex nets that characterize the Anthropocene, an epoch defined by profound human impacts on Earth’s ecosystems. It presents key findings from my doctoral research, which aimed to identify and analyze socio-legal scholarship proposing a shift toward more adaptive, network-based approaches to law that recognize the interdependencies between natural, human, and technological environments.

The research highlights the necessity for legal structures capable of regulating not only individual actors or isolated events but also interactions that transcend geographical, sectoral, and disciplinary boundaries. Network-based socio-legal approaches aim to develop more resilient legal frameworks that can effectively manage the non-linear processes of the Anthropocene. Addressing the multi-scalar challenges that emerge at local, national, and global levels also requires legal institutions to evolve and adapt to dynamic feedback loops. Key areas of concern include climate change, environmental degradation, and the regulation of digital networks.

Ultimately, this research points to a reimagined legal paradigm that reflects the environmental interconnectedness and supports global sustainability and justice in the face of unprecedented ecological and technological challenges.