On 12 November 2025, I participated in the First International Symposium on Earth System Law, held at Wageningen University and Research, followed by an Author Workshop on 13 November at Utrecht University. Together with Rohan Nanda and Julia Schutz Veiga, I presented on “Marine Genetic Resources as a Test Case for Earth System Law.”
Our presentation explored how the governance of marine genetic resources — particularly under the recently adopted BBNJ Agreement — can serve as a concrete testing ground for the emerging field of Earth System Law. We examined how legal frameworks for biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction must grapple with Earth System boundaries, interconnected ecological processes, and questions of intergenerational equity that traditional international environmental law struggles to address.
The symposium brought together scholars and practitioners from diverse backgrounds and career stages to debate the state of the art of Earth System Law, explore emerging practices, and examine how this field might meaningfully intervene in the structural transformations required for planetary stewardship. The follow-up author workshop focused on the collaborative development of a co-authored perspective paper for publication in a high-impact journal.
Many thanks to the organisers — Louis J. Kotzé (Wageningen University and Research), Rakhyun E. Kim (Utrecht University), and Mike J. Angstadt (Colorado College) — as well as the Task Force Coordinator Işık Girgiç (Utrecht University) and the entire Scientific Steering Group of the Earth System Governance Task Force on Earth System Law for putting together such a stimulating event.
Henrique Marcos 