Registering Nature

Document Type

Book Section

Publication Date

5-2026

ISBN

9781509990207

DOI

10.5040/9781509990177.ch-009

Abstract

Registration is one of the key tools in property's arsenal. Registration receives much scholarly attention and is often at the centre of policy debates as well. The discussion around registration tends to focus primarily on land.   This chapter broadens the scope of the discussion by shifting our gaze to other natural resources, and the ways in which registration operates within them. The chapter makes three significant contributions. First, it broadens the discourse on registration to include non-land resources. This allows us to see registration as an important tool not just for land, but across a wider spectrum of resources. Second, the chapter offers a case study of registration of carbon, a resource which impacts our modern economies, our daily lives, and our ability to tackle climate change. The case study serves as a gateway to understanding the registration of natural resources more broadly. Third, the analysis highlights how registration can serve as a useful tool in addressing some of the complex realities of modern resource management. Registration is particularly useful in this context, we argue, because it enables better resource management, based on more accurate information and more aggregate data. Especially with natural resources that are spread out among so many individuals and entities, gathering the information in one place (via registration) is crucial and can facilitate more informed and thoughtful management. The example of curbing carbon emissions to tackle climate change illustrates the significance of registration in this regard.

First Page

159

Last Page

176

Num Pages

18

Series

Modern Studies in Property Law Series

Series Number

Volume 13, Part 1

Publisher

Hart Publishing

Editor

Martin Dixon & Emma Lees

Series Editor

Ben McFarlane & Sinéad Agnew

Book Title

Modern Studies in Property Law: Use, Abandonment, and Protection of Land

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