Professor, School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, Canada
David R. Boyd is one of Canada’s leading environmental lawyers and an Adjunct Professor in the School of Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University. He has advised the governments of Canada, Sweden, and Iceland on environmental issues and is the co-chair of Vancouver’s Greenest City Action Team along with Mayor Gregor Robertson. He is also a member of the IUCN’s Commission on Environmental Law and ELAW—the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide.
David’s current research examines the convergence of human rights and environmental degradation, focusing on policy responses ranging from constitutional recognition of the right to a healthy environment and the right to water to preventive measures intended to avoid environmental injustice. While many researchers emphasise the theoretical debates in this burgeoning field, David is more interested in the design, implementation, and rigorous evaluation of policies that strive to be effective, efficient, and equitable. The primary goal of his research is to understand what kinds of public policies are effective in moving communities toward a sustainable future. By definition, this kind of research is interdisciplinary, drawing on ecology, chemistry, public health, sociology, psychology, law, political science, and other fields.
David’s publications include The Environmental Rights Revolution: A Global Study of Constitutions, Human Rights, and the Environment, Dodging the Toxic Bullet: How to Protect Yourself from Everyday Environmental Health Hazards, David Suzuki’s Green Guide,Sustainability Within a Generation: A New Vision for Canada, and Unnatural Law: Rethinking Canadian Environmental Law and Policy.