Law & Climate Atlas
Climate change is impacting every aspect of society and the economy, so it is relevant to every area of law. Lawyers will therefore play a vital role in the net zero transition. Developed by the Centre for Climate Engagement in partnership with the Net Zero Lawyers Alliance, the Law & Climate Atlas provides overviews of how climate change is shaping different areas of law, and how these areas might help drive climate action. You can read the press release about the creation of the Atlas here.
Each section includes relevant citations and links to further reading, and will be updated in response to key legal developments. The Atlas focuses on law impacting the UK, but has sections that cover international law and cites precedent from many other jurisdictions. A list of other useful resources and a glossary of key terminology can be found here. If you have any questions about the Law & Climate Atlas, or would like to suggest any additions or amendments, please get in touch at climate@hughes.cam.ac.uk.
Administrative Law and Climate Change
Public bodies and decision makers now have climate-related obligations and may face judicial review if they fail to meet them. More →
Company Law and Climate Change
Companies have a key role to play in the net zero transition, and are subject to a growing number of legal requirements related to climate change. More →
Competition Law and Climate Change
Businesses must collaborate to tackle the climate crisis, but this can raise competition law concerns. More →
Contract Law and Climate Change
Contracts let a wide range of actors create legally binding climate commitments without waiting for legislation or litigation. More →
Criminal Law and Climate Change
Both climate activists and greenhouse gas emitters may need to worry about criminal law. More →
Employment Law and Climate Change
The net zero transition is changing workplaces, creating climate-related employment law issues. More →
Environmental Law and Climate Change
Climate change is linked to many other environmental issues and the legal regimes that aim to address them. More →
European Union Law and Climate Change
The European Union has many important climate laws which remain relevant to the UK. More →
Financial Law and Climate Change
Many new laws and regulations aim to use the financial system to drive emissions reductions. More →
Human Rights Law and Climate Change
Human rights are closely linked to climate change, creating challenges and opportunities for human rights law regimes. More →
Immigration Law and Climate Change
Climate change will drive migration, which immigration law must facilitate. More →
Insurance Law and Climate Change
Insurance is crucial to managing climate risks, and may even play a role in reducing emissions. More →
Intellectual Property Law and Climate Change
Intellectual property law is highly relevant to the many new products and technologies that address climate change. More →
Public Health Law and Climate Change
The law is increasingly recognising climate change as a significant public health issue. More →
Public International Law and Climate Change
A new international law regime has emerged to address climate change, and the climate crisis is closely intertwined with many other areas of international law. More →
Tax Law and Climate Change
Fiscal policy is an important tool for tackling climate change, and the net zero transition is creating many legal changes in this area. More →
Tort Law and Climate Change
There have been many efforts to address damage from climate change using tort law but claims often struggle to fit climate impacts into traditional tort law principles. More →
Trade Law and Climate Change
Trade mechanisms are becoming a central aspect of international climate policy and diplomacy. More →
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