Title: The role of the state, regulatory institutions and regulation in the management of socio-ecological systems
Bio: Dr Emille Boulot is a lecturer at the Faculty of Law at the University of Tasmania. Emille completed her PhD at McGill University in Canada at the interface between environmental law, science and practice, looking at the regulation of ecological restoration across Australia. Emille is an Australian lawyer and has completed a Master’s degree in Environmental Governance at UTAS. Her research interests include environmental law and governance, evidence informed policy, international law, water law, legal theory and political ecology. She is a Lionel Murphy Postgraduate scholar, research fellow with the Earth System Governance Project and board member of the Australian Environment Review. In her spare time, Emille can be found biking or hiking or hanging out at the beach with her (part-time) dogs.
Abstract: Throughout Australia, social-ecological systems are in decline. Recent national reform of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) has dedicated itself to addressing and arresting this decline through the introduction of a Nature Repair Market. While ecological restoration has been identified as a key process for reversing this decline, the recovery of social-ecological systems following restoration is rare. This seminar will investigate the regulatory reasons for this failure, ultimately describing a paradox within ecological restoration regulation: that is that neoliberal ideologies prevalent in regulatory frameworks impede recovery despite regulatory best efforts to facilitate restoration. Unless the drivers of ecological restoration shift from facilitating land degradation to facilitating social-ecological recovery, systems will continue to decline. In this conversation, Emille will consider the role of the state, state institutions and regulation in perpetuating what has been called an ‘environmental statehood’ and consider the role of the state, regulatory institutions and regulation in the management of socio-ecological systems. Emille will conclude by putting forward some suggestions for regulatory reform that overcomes processes of facilitating environmental decline and promotes social-ecological recovery.
When: 11:00am-11:45am on 18th April 2024
Where: IMAS Salamanca (Aurora Lecture Theatre) and online
Zoom Link: https://utas.zoom.us/j/83210012020
