For much too long western societies have supported an image of the human race that has disassociated itself from nature with homo sapiens seeming to be at the top of the evolutionary tree and therefore with unlimited powers. This has encouraged the exploitation of natural resources and the extermination of many species, up to 58 000 every year. Scientists have proven, that we are already using the equivalent of 1.6 planets to provide for our resource use, with tendency to rise. The situation has become so dramatic, that over the last 70 years the planet’s resilience level has been eroded. It has lost its ability to support life, including present lives and that of future generations.

One root cause for the environmental problems of the Anthropocene is the comparative disconnect between conventional property law discourse and analysis and environmental matters. Therefore, the conference “Sustainability and Property Rights” draws attention to the intersection between property law and environmental law. In this context it covers the perspectives of two different jurisdictions, seeks to promote sustainability as a balancing principle and expounds requirements for a sustainable environmental protection.