Problem Shifting in the Anthropocene

The text examines 'problem shifting' within the context of sustainable natural resource management and the Anthropocene. It evaluates whether existing international legal instruments, such as no-transfer provisions and inter-treaty cooperation, are sufficient to manage planetary-scale environmental risks. Using case studies on marine geoengineering and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), the analysis concludes that international law is currently inadequate and suggests the need for a new legal principle to address the trans-sectoral transformation of harm, similar to the development of the no-harm and intergenerational equity norms.

• International law possesses several instruments to mitigate problem shifting, such as conflict clauses, no-transfer provisions, and coordination between treaties, yet it remains generally insufficient for managing environmental problem shifting on a planetary scale.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2016). Problem Shifting in the Anthropocene. https://www.sei.org/publications/problem-shifting-in-the-anthropocene/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Problem Shifting in the Anthropocene. 2016. https://www.sei.org/publications/problem-shifting-in-the-anthropocene/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Problem Shifting in the Anthropocene |date=7 December 2016 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/problem-shifting-in-the-anthropocene/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2016problem, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Problem Shifting in the Anthropocene}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2016}, month = dec, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/problem-shifting-in-the-anthropocene/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }