DIALOGUES BETWEEN GREEN CRIMINOLOGY, CRIMINAL LAW, AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION: EXPANDING THE OBJECT OF CRIMINOLOGY AND WHAT CRIMINAL LAW CAN OFFER

Abstract

The research undertaken in the following lines aims to analyze the influences that the valuation of the environment as entity with its own purpose has had on other scientific fields, especially in Criminal Law and Criminology. This is because the former categorizes the environment as a legal asset to be protected, while the latter expands its object of study to encompass this valuation of the environment, giving rise to what is known as Green Criminology. In a second step, having established that the connection between these fields does not provide proper protection to the environment, given the peculiarities inherent to each of the sciences, we seek to introduce the perspective of social damage as an element capable of providing better environmental protection. This approach seeks to hold corporations as the primary entities responsible for environmental degradation, according to what Criminal Law can offer, especially in terms of environmental protection. It is concluded, therefore, that new perspectives on the concept of crime, perpetrators, and victims have been adopted, as these have long been rendered ineffective by various mechanisms of social regulation. A hypothetical-deductive method was used, based on documentary and bibliographical research.