In this session of the Cambridge Seminar Series on Law and the Climate Crisis, Professor Elbert de Jong (Utrecht University) will talk about Civil Law Torts and Climate Change. Come to the David Attenborough Building (CB2 3QZ) to hear Prof de Jong speak at 3pm on 20 November 2026, and stay for refreshments and networking afterwards.
Seminar synopsis:
Climate change is rapidly entering the domain of tort law. This development is driven by regulation and litigation, advances in climate science, and the increasingly tangible impacts of climate change on interests protected by private law.
With a focus on European jurisdictions, this seminar examines the doctrinal and institutional challenges involved in developing and allocating climate change-related responsibility and liability among private actors.
About the speaker:
Elbert de Jong is Full Professor of Private Law at Utrecht University, The Netherlands. He works on climate change accountability and liability, precaution and uncertainty in tort law, tort law and health and environmental risks, and public interest litigation. He is co-director of the Utrecht Centre for Accountability and Liability Law, serves as a deputy judge at the Court of Appeal of Arnhem-Leeuwarden and is a temporary member of the Dutch Health Council.