This paper discusses the deeply intertwined role of international environmental law (IEL) in creating and exacerbating the Anthropocene's socioecological dilemma, as well as IEL's inability to address this dilemma and to offer regulatory interventions that can meaningfully craft sustainable and just futures. For the purpose of context, the paper first explores the notion of the Anthropocene, and shows how it represents a new context for thinking about IEL and governance at a planetary scale. The discussion then reveals how IEL, despite some victories, has been unable to ensure planetary integrity and address injustice on a global scale. It specifically focuses on the inability of IEL to embrace systematicity; the anthropocentrism of IEL; and IEL's lack of ambition. The final part explores possible reformative pathways in pursuit of IEL for the Anthropocene. For this purpose, the paper explores Earth system-oriented paradigms of law and governance that are based on Earth system science. The discussion then explores alternative ecocentric-oriented approaches of seeing, being, and knowing that can replace the anthropocentric epistemologies of exploitation that IEL explicitly embraces. The discussion finally reflects on ways in which IEL could raise its normative ambition.

[30] p.