Problem Shifting in the Anthropocene

This chapter from the 'Research Handbook on International Law and Natural Resources' examines 'problem shifting'—the transfer of environmental problems resulting from sustainable natural resource management practices—and evaluates the capacity of international law to mitigate these risks in the Anthropocene.

• The author analyzes 'problem shifting' in the context of the Anthropocene, specifically focusing on environmental problems arising from sustainable natural resource management. Through case studies on hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and marine geoengineering, the analysis concludes that while international law possesses tools such as inter-treaty cooperation, conflict clauses, and no-transfer provisions, it is generally insufficient for managing environmental problem shifting on a planetary scale.
• The text suggests that the current inadequacy of international law may necessitate the creation of a new legal principle to address the 'trans-sectoral transformation of harm,' similar to how the principles of intergenerational equity and no-harm were developed to address trans-temporal and transboundary impacts.

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} }