The Environment as "Client": Overcoming Anthropocentric Barriers in Law and Social Work

As disciplines whose foundations are firmly rooted in the paradigms of The Enlightenment and Modernity, law and social work have traditionally operated from anthropocentric positions. Each has attempted to grapple with the challenge of environmental sustainability, but their anthropocentric orientation limits the degree to which they can effectively respond. In this paper, the authors argue that a more fundamentally transformative approach is required, challenging the notion of ‘the client’ that is common to both professions.

Traditionally, the ‘client’ in both law and social work has been a person, group of people, or an entity comprised of human agents. As professions concerned primarily with issues of justice, equity and rights, a human-centred focus has been adequate in the past, but falls far short of what will be required if we are to move towards a sustainable future. If, however, we flip this traditional framing on its head, we can begin to explore the notion of the environment itself as the ‘client’ of professional legal and social work services. Conceptualising the environment in this manner provides ethical and professional legitimacy for action and activism around environmental issues. This paper explores the implications of ‘environment as client’ in law and social work.