Environmental Law and Social Justice
This assessment offers an opportunity for you to think systemically and to reflect critically on how western lifestyles based on consumerism drive trade (which may not be ‘green’ or sustainable), and the global implications of our actions.
‘Palm oil is said to be nature’s gift to the world. Consumed for more than 5,000 years, its nutritional value, health benefits and value as a natural resource continue to be discovered even today’. http://www.oilpalmindia.com/
Part 2: Indicative length – 2100 words
Your task
You have been asked by Jane Lavine, UNEP Green Economy Initiative, to undertake some research. Jane has been invited to participate in a round table event that will discuss the various issues surrounding the palm oil industry. At the meeting will be a range of stakeholders, including campaign groups such as Friends of the Earth and Survival International, businesses who use palm oil and investors in projects in Malaysia and Indonesia. In a meeting with you, as one of her junior advisors, Jane outlines some of her concerns and reveals her total ignorance and confusion about whether palm oil is a blessing or something that is destroying the environment. She knows anecdotally, that palm oil represents big business: monoculture oil plantations are one of the fastest growing agricultural developments in the tropics (with the market predicted to reach almost £80 billion by 2020). However she also knows that around the table will be several NGOs, making a strong case against palm oil production and calling for further legislation.
She is very confused and says to you: ‘On the one hand such developments offer the potential for economic prosperity, on the other there are allegations that oil palm cultivation is bad for the environment. I have also heard tales of environmental injustice, corruption and human rights abuse. One of my colleagues also suggested that we need new laws because there is currently little legislation. Is that the case? Someone else suggested that palm oil can be found in most consumer goods but you would never know this – should we be concerned? I really haven’t got a clue!’
The brief is to undertake literature-based research, and on the basis of your analysis, to prepare an issues paper for Ms. Lavine. It is particularly important that the paper enables her to get up to speed with the breadth of concerns. She needs you to evaluate the ‘pro’s and con’s’ of the palm oil industry, particularly addressing the question of whether it is, or could be, sustainable. The paper needs to be objective, and grounded in firm evidence, indicating any areas of uncertainty. She wants to know whether oil palm cultivation really does contribute to sustainable economic development and poverty reduction, or whether it is causing intolerable environmental damage and social injustices (for example through land rights abuse). She has asked you to briefly outline what legislation impacts on palm oil production and its use, and whether this is sufficient to regulate the industry. She hopes that your paper will be clear and informative, and will enable her to decide whether she needs to be ‘for’, or ‘against’ the use of palm oil. In her last parting remark she comments: ‘Is there a potential way forward that meets economic, environmental and social needs? Could palm oil production genuinely be considered part of the green economy? I hope that you will to be able to suggest something, perhaps?’
You are required to produce a written document, which incorporates the information indicated above. The word limit for this Part of the Assignment is 2100 words.
Assessment criteria:
Key criteria include: (i) a comprehensive understanding of the principles and practice of environmental policy, law and governance, corporate responsibility and social justice; (ii) a critical awareness of the policy, legal and administrative processes of environmental law and social justice; (iii) a clear understanding of the nature of environmental law and governance, corporate social responsibility and social justice; (iv) an ability to recognise and evaluate issues relating to social justice in the context of the transition to sustainability; (v) an ability to write professionally structured reports with an effective and critical use of relevant literature.
