Analysing the most important concepts and problems of the philosophy of polar law, this book focuses on the legal regimes relating to both the Arctic and Antarctic. The book addresses the most fundamental concepts and problems of polar law, looking beyond the apparent biophysical similarities and differences of the two polar regions, to tackle the distinctive legal problems relating to each polar region. It examines key legal–philosophical areas of the philosophy of law around legal interpretation; the role of nation states, reflected in concepts of territorial sovereignty – whether recognised or merely asserted, the exercise of jurisdiction, and the philosophical justifications for such claims; as well as indigenous rights, land rights, civil commons and issues of justice. The book will be of interest to students and scholars of polar law, land law, heritage law, international relations in the polar regions and the wider polar social sciences and humanities.

Polar law describes the normative frameworks that govern the relationships between humans, States, Peoples, institutions, land and resources in the Arctic and the Antarctic. These two regions are superficially similar in terms of natural environmental conditions but the overarching frameworks that apply are fundamentally different. The Routledge Handbook of Polar Law explores the legal orders in the Arctic and Antarctic in a comparative perspective, identifying similarities as well as differences. It points to a distinct discipline of "Polar law" as the body of rules governing actors, spaces and institutions at the Poles. Four main features define the collection: the Arctic-Antarctic interface; the interaction between global, regional and domestic legal regimes; the rights of Indigenous Peoples; and the increasing importance of private law. While these broad themes have been addressed to varying extents elsewhere, the editors believe that this Handbook brings them together to create a comprehensive (if never exhaustive) account of what constitutes Polar law today. Leading scholars in public international and private law as well as experts in related fields come together to offer unique insights into polar law as a burgeoning discipline.

More than ever before the changing environmental and political landscape in the Arctic requires stability and foreseeability based on resilient common norms. The emerging legal orders in the Arctic cannot be legitimately created or effectively implemented unless all relevant actors are involved. Simultaneously, it must always be based on respect for the sovereign rights of the eight Arctic states in the region, as well as the tradition and cultural livelihood of the local communities. It is this delicate balance between Arctic and non-Arctic interests that is the core problématique for the emerging legal orders in the Arctic. Emerging Legal Orders in the Arctic critically examines the role of non-Arctic actors in this advancement of the shape and scope of the Arctic legal order. Discussing the admittance and participation of Observer states and organisations in the Arctic Council, including task force meetings where new treaties are negotiated, it details the issues and successes this can result in. Setting up the context of the current legal orders in the Arctic, the book discusses Asian, indigenous and European perspectives, amongst others. There is a strong focus on the groundbreaking fisheries agreement of November 2017 in the Central Arctic Ocean (CAO), and the impact on both Arctic and non-Arctic actors. Interests in marine living resources, scientific cooperation and the Arctic shipping regimes and governance are also thoroughly discussed from multiple perspectives. The book combines the expertise of academics and practitioners in the fields of international law and Arctic governance, uniquely focusing on Asian actors in the Arctic legal order-making. The resulting study is a fascinating insight into the interplay between non-Arctic actors and the Arctic legal order, and will be invaluable to academics in the field of Arctic and international law.

This book addresses the growing demand for collaborative and reflexive scholarly engagement in the Arctic directed at providing relevant insights to tackle local challenges of arctic communities. It examines how arctic research can come to matter in new ways by combining methods and engagement in the field of inquiry in new and meaningful ways. Research informs decisions affecting the futures of arctic communities. Due to its ability to include local concerns and practices, collaborative research could play a greater role in this process. By way of example of how to bring new voices to the fore in research, this edited collection presents experiences of researchers active in collaborative arctic research. It draws multidisciplinary perspectives from a broad range of academics in the fields such as law and medicine over tourism and business studies, planning and development, cultural studies, ethnology and anthropology. It also shares personal experiences of working in Greenland and with Greenlanders, whether communities, businesses and entrepreneurs, public officials and planners, patients or students. Offering useful insights into the current problems of Greenland representative of the arctic region, this book will be beneficial for researchers and scientists involved in arctic research.

"Focusing on how to improve the participation of non-governmental actors in the making of international climate change laws, this book is a conversation on the relevance of a human rights-based approach to international climate change law-making. Due to the relevance of the addressed subject, the book is destined to a broad readership and will be of use to academic researchers, law practitioners, policy-makers and non-governmental organisations' representatives"--

Introduction -- International environmental governance and non-governmental actors -- The participation on non-governmental actors in climate change law-making and governance -- Non-governmental actors and a changing climate : learning from Arctic Indigenous peoples -- Climate change litigation : a bottom-up approach to climate change governance -- A human rights-based approach to climate change : improving the participation of non-governmental actors in international climate change law-making -- Concluding remarks-towards a new significance for non-governmental actors in international climate change governance : a proposal for the future.