The Law & Climate Atlas US is a free online resource which shows how climate change is shaping different areas of law, and how these areas might help drive climate action. Developed by the Centre for Climate Engagement (CCE) based at Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge, in partnership with the Net Zero Lawyers Alliance (NZLA), the US Atlas covers multiple areas of the law, including human rights, securities and finance, tort, contract, international trade, taxation and supply chain considerations.
The USA is a crucial jurisdiction for addressing climate change both within and outside of America, and the US Law & Climate Atlas gives an overview of legal experiences and ideas that will help drive this change. It was produced with the help of many contributors and reviewers from within the NZLA, and was coordinated and edited by Hannah White, Project Manager at the Net Zero Lawyers Alliance.
Representatives from the CCE and NZLA will hold a free webinar on Thursday 6 June to discuss the relevance of climate change to US law, and explore how lawyers can navigate critical changes in their clients’ operating environment, playing and active and enabling role in the transition to net zero (sign up details below).
Dr Markus Gehring is Director of Studies in Law at Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge. He said: “The Law and Climate Atlas demonstrates that climate change now intersects with almost every area of law, and its overview of these intersections can be a platform for researchers and practitioners to dive deeper into many climate law issues. I am delighted that the Atlas is now expanding to cover US law, a crucial jurisdiction in the fight against climate change, and I hope that this marks the first step in the Atlas’ journey to become a truly global resource.”
Anna-Marie Slot is an Advisory Board Member at the Net Zero Alliance. She said: “The US Law and Climate Atlas provides lawyers in one of the largest legal markets of the world with insights and caselaw to equip them to understand the risks and opportunities of climate change across different aspects of law, thereby enabling them to provide more informed advice to their clients.”
The Law & Climate Atlas US was developed following the 2022 launch of its UK counterpart, originating from a CCE research project at the University of Cambridge. This project benefited significantly from the contributions of law student interns, whose work was reviewed by legal experts from the University and from law firms within the Net Zero Lawyers Alliance. The UK version was updated and expanded last year to include key climate-related legal developments from 2023 and to track how noteworthy examples worldwide might influence the UK’s legal landscape.
The CCE plans to expand the Atlas to other regions in the future and welcomes expressions of interest from possible international collaborators.
Law & Climate Atlas: US Chapters Launch Event
Online webinar details:
Free registration on Eventbrite
6 June @9am EDT/ 2pm BST
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