Environmental Governance in Orbit: Navigating EIA and ESG Pressures in the NewSpace Industry

Environmental Governance in Orbit: Navigating EIA and ESG Pressures in the NewSpace Industry | Zenodo Skip to main Communities My dashboard Log in Sign up Space Court Foundation Published April 7, 2026 | Version v1 Journal article Open Environmental Governance in Orbit: Navigating EIA and ESG Pressures in the NewSpace Industry Authors/Creators Beniwal, Lakshay (Researcher) 1 Show affiliations 1. Leiden University Description As private equity and venture capital investment in the NewSpace sector rapidly increases, investors are placing growing emphasis on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) compliance. A key tool in assessing environmental responsibility is the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). However, current EIA frameworks are fragmented, Earth-focused, and inadequate for evaluating the impacts of space activities. This paper examines how this regulatory gap hinders both sustainability goals and investor confidence. Drawing on legal instruments such as the Outer Space Treaty, Moon Agreement and the Long-Term Sustainability Guidelines, the paper advocates for the development of soft-law-based extraterrestrial EIA guidelines. Institutions such as the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) and United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS) are well placed to lead this initiative. The analysis also considers broader structural issues affecting the implementation of ESG in the space sector, including the resource limitations of space start-ups and the growing expectations of institutional investors. Considering these factors, the paper recommends the introduction of harmonised standards and soft law guidelines as a realistic and commercially viable first step. Files 3.pdf Files (359.5 kB) Name Size Download all 3.pdf md5:12be69705a953f25237ae4f6947a8f46 359.5 kB Preview Download Additional details Related works Is published in Journal: 10.5281/zenodo.19454106 (DOI) 292 Views 119 Downloads Show more details All versions This version Views Total views 292 292 Downloads Total downloads 119 119 Data volume Total data volume 46.7 MB 46.7 MB More info on how stats are collected.... Versions External resources Indexed in OpenAIRE Communities Keywords and subjects Keywords ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) EIA (Environmental Impact Assessments) NewSpace Venture Capital Details DOI DOI Badge DOI 10.5281/zenodo.19454536 Markdown [](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19454536) reStructuredText .. image:: https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.19454536.svg :target: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19454536 HTML <a href="https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19454536"><img src="https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.19454536.svg" alt="DOI"></a> Image URL https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.19454536.svg Target URL https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19454536 Resource type Journal article Publisher The Space Court Foundation Published in The Space Court Foundation Student Space Law Journal, 1(3), 27-35, ISSN: 3051-2050, 2026. Languages English Rights License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International The Creative Commons Attribution license allows re-distribution and re-use of a licensed work on the condition that the creator is appropriately credited. Read more Copyright © The Author(s) 2026. Citation Export Technical metadata Created April 7, 2026 Modified April 7, 2026 Jump up About About Policies Infrastructure Principles Projects Roadmap Contact Blog Blog Support Help FAQ Developers REST API OAI-PMH Contribute GitHub Donate Funded by Powered by CERN Data Centre & InvenioRDM Status Privacy policy Cookie policy Terms of Use This site uses cookies. Find out more on how we use cookies Accept all cookies Accept only essential cookies

Related documents

• Beyond the board : does CEO‐CFO tenure staggering curb ESG greenwashing?#977411
• ESG IN SPACE: CREATING AN EFFECTIVE SPACE GOVERNANCE SYSTEM BY USING TERRESTRIAL ESG PRINCIPLES TO PROPERLY REGULATE PRIVATE SPACE ACTORS#345754
• Infrastructure Literacy: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding How Construction Career Students Think About Environmental Justice#434911
• A Quantitative Analysis of Greenwashing Practices in Corporate Carbon Accounting and Its Impact on Stakeholder Trust and Regulatory Compliance#643309
• Public participation, institutional trust, and distributive justice in wind and solar projects.#255105