Legal Mechanism for Compensation of Environmental Damage: Theoretical and Applied Aspects

Author information:

Hanna Anisimova
Doctor of Law, Professor, Professor of the Department of Environmental Law, Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University, Kharkiv, Ukraine,
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0579-7007

Olha Donets
PhD in Law, Associate Professor of the Department of Environmental Law, Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University, Kharkiv, Ukraine
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7716-4933

Published: 15.04.2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.69724/2786-8834-2026-9-2-17-49

Keywords: egal liability; ecosystem; loss of landscape and biological diversity; environmental safety; climate damage; ecosystem services and functions; environmental legal status of subjects; environmental restoration

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Abstract

In the context of increasing anthropogenic pressure on natural ecosystems and the growing number of violations in the field of natural resource use, the issue of the effectiveness of legal mechanisms for compensation of environmental damage has become particularly relevant. The practice of compensation for environmental damage in Ukraine remains insufficiently effective, which necessitates a doctrinal understanding of the legal nature of such damage and the methods for its assessment. The purpose of the article is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the legal regulation of compensation for damage caused by violations of environmental protection legislation, as well as to identify problems of law enforcement and substantiate directions for improving the relevant legal mechanism. The article reveals the legal nature of environmental damage as a complex and multidimensional phenomenon that encompasses both direct losses of natural resources and secondary socio-economic consequences. It analyses the regulatory and legal foundations of environmental damage compensation and the specific features of applying civil law mechanisms for damages in the field of environmental relations. The key approaches of judicial practice to determining the amount and procedure of compensation for environmental damage are summarized. The study identifies the main problems of legal regulation, including the difficulty of proving causation, the imperfection of existing methodologies for calculating environmental damage, and the limited effectiveness of mechanisms aimed at ecosystem restoration. The necessity of improving national legislation with due regard to European approaches to environmental liability is substantiated. It is concluded that increasing the effectiveness of the compensation mechanism requires strengthening evidentiary standards in environmental damage disputes, modernizing methodologies for environmental damage assessment, and prioritizing restorative measures alongside monetary compensation. The results of the research may be used by legislators, environmental control authorities, courts, lawyers, and scholars in improving law enforcement practice and developing environmental protection policies. The article reflects the results of a comprehensive study of the issues and peculiarities of legal regulation of compensation for damage caused by violations of environmental protection legislation, some preliminary results of which have been partially presented in other publications of the authors.

How to Cite

In accordance with DSTU 8302:2015:
Анісімова Г. Донець О. Правовий механізм компеснації екологічної шкоди: теоретико-прикладні аспекти. Цивілістична платформа. 2026. № 2 (9). С. 17-49. https://doi.org/10.69724/2786-8834-2026-9-2-17-49

According to the international style of APA:
Anisimova, H. Donets, O. (2026) Legal Mechanism for Compensation of Environmental Damage: Theoretical and Applied Aspectsg. С. P. Journal, 2 (9). https://doi.org/10.69724/2786-8834-2026-9-2-17-49 [in Ukrainian].

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