In his research colloquium held on 22nd of August, Güneş Ünüvar discusses the growing impact of (private sector) activities in outer space. He is particularly interested in the increasing number of satellites accumulating in Earth’s orbit, which has caused a significant rise in space debris and poses serious risks of pollution and accidents. Ünüvar’s research aims to redefine outer space, especially Earth’s orbit, as an environmental domain. He advocates for the application of regulatory measures similar to those used for terrestrial and atmospheric environments, with a strong focus on addressing the risks associated with space debris.

Ünüvar uses examples from international investment agreements (IIAs) and arbitration cases where states have imposed environmental regulations that affect foreign investments.
“When we view outer space as an ‘environment’ and embrace its different facets, it leads to a paradigm shift. The environment becomes our starting point, not an afterthought. Our efforts to preserve the outer space environment in its pristine condition, or to mitigate human-made damage to our orbit, go hand in hand with how we regulate commercial actors, manage outer space traffic, and extract and use space resources,” concludes Güneş Ünüvar at his colloquium.