Spotlight interview: Law for climate action
16 Jan 2025
To celebrate the forthcoming updates to our Law and Climate Atlas UK and US, we talked to two student interns who worked on the project at the Centre for Climate Engagement over the summer of 2024. Richelle Khor and Camilo… More →
Summary: Law and Climate Change Seminar Series
17 Dec 2024
This past Michaelmas Term, the Centre for Climate Engagement hosted the first four events of the inaugural Cambridge Seminar Series on Law and the Climate Crisis. Developed by University of Cambridge Hatton Professor of Climate Law, Harro van Asselt, the… More →
Blog: Reflections from COP29 on climate law and governance
19 Nov 2024
Associate Professor Dr Markus Gehring serves on our new CCE Advisory Group. He is a Fellow and Director of Studies in Law at Hughes Hall, Expert in the Centre for European Legal Studies (CELS), and a Fellow of the Lauterpacht… More →
Blog: Corporate climate (un)accountability? Landmark Shell ruling overturned on appeal
13 Nov 2024
Shell’s ongoing legal battle over climate accountability reached a pivotal moment on 12 November 2024, as the Hague Court of Appeal delivered its verdict on the company’s appeal. This case has drawn global attention since the initial 2021 ruling, which… More →
Spotlight interview – Dr Jellie Molino
22 Oct 2024
The Centre for Climate Engagement’s spotlight interview series explores law for climate action through the lens of a range of experts. Dr Jellie Molino is a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the Centre for Climate Engagement (CCE) at Hughes Hall, with research focusing on private law, procurement, and climate change. She also teaches at the Faculty of Law. We asked her to share her research and experience. More →
News: The Cambridge Seminar Series on Law and the Climate Crisis
01 Oct 2024
The Cambridge Seminar Series on Law and the Climate Crisis offers unique insights into the role of law and legal systems in response to the urgent issue of climate change. More →
Summary report: Investors’ fiduciary duties and systemic climate risks
25 Sep 2024
This briefing summarises the final roundtable in a series organised by the Centre for Climate Engagement at Clyde & Co. It explores the link between investors’ legal duties and climate risks, barriers they face in addressing these issues, and possible solutions. While focusing on asset owners with diversified portfolios, the discussion also applies to investment managers. Although the issues discussed are globally relevant, their application may vary depending on legal frameworks in different jurisdictions. More →
Jessica Crow joins the Centre for Climate Engagement as new Hoffmann Fellow
14 Aug 2024
The Centre for Climate Engagement (CCE) at Hughes Hall is delighted to announce the appointment of Jessica Crow as the incoming Cambridge Hoffmann Fellow in Global Climate Governance, with the World Economic Forum and Hughes Hall. More →
Summary Report: Navigating the landscape of climate law and regulation
10 Jul 2024
‘Navigating the landscape of climate law and regulation: A briefing for boards’ is a new report co-authored by Chapter Zero, Freshfields and the Centre for Climate Engagement, mapping the landscape of legal risks and opportunities for companies as they navigate the net zero transition.
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Professor Harro van Asselt, University of Cambridge
09 Jul 2024
The Centre for Climate Engagement’s spotlight interview series explores law for climate change through the lens of a range of experts.Professor Harro van Asselt holds the Hatton Professorship in Climate Law at the University of Cambridge and is a Fellow at Hughes Hall. We asked him to share his research and his experiences as he approaches the end of his first year in Cambridge. More →
Summary Report: Greenwashing – Legal Risks and Opportunities
01 Jul 2024
This consideration of greenwashing draws on a roundtable held by the Centre for Climate Engagement in partnership with Clyde & Co, the second in a series of three discussions on legal aspects of sustainable finance. The event brought together academics and legal practitioners to discuss some key legal issues associated with greenwashing, and potential implications for businesses. More →
Expert Briefing: OHCHR Call for Input – Climate Change and the Right to Education for Girls
24 Jun 2024
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) recently issued a call for input to prepare a report on how climate change impacts the realization of the right to education for girls. Our response was written by Léa Weimann, a PhD student from the University of Cambridge Faculty of Law and Sofie Surraco from the CCE, with review support provided by the Global Pact Coalition. More →
Press release: Launch of Law & Climate Atlas US helps lawyers drive transition to net zero
29 May 2024
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. More →
Directors’ Duties and Climate Change
20 May 2024
Climate change poses financial and liability risks to companies. By addressing these risks, businesses can find opportunities to grow and adapt. Nick Scott’s leadership insight links climate change to directors’ duties and examines how English courts have responded. It summarises direct litigation risks and related legal and non-legal threats and suggests how understanding this issue could help businesses implement effective climate strategies. More →
Blog: Boards can, and must, account for climate change
16 May 2024
Accounting may not seem the most obvious arena for ambitious climate action, but a recent legal opinion highlights real opportunities for boards to drive sustainability through the company accounts. Nick Scott, Manager of the Law for Climate Action programme at… More →
Legal insight: A case note on ClientEarth v Shell Plc
14 May 2024
On 9 February 2023, ClientEarth, a non-profit environmental law organisation and UK registered charity, brought a claim against the directors of Shell plc before the High Court of England and Wales, alleging breaches of their duties as directors for failing to take certain steps to protect Shell against climate-change related risks. This case note gives an insight into the claim, the decision of the High Court and implications for the future. More →
Summary report: Legal considerations for the transition to net zero, a series with Freshfields and Chapter Zero
12 Mar 2024
In 2023/2024, the Centre was delighted to partner with Freshfields and Chapter Zero to run a series of events focused on the intricate legal aspects of transitioning to net zero. The pivotal shift towards corporate sustainability is set to introduce a myriad of legal challenges and opportunities for organisations across various sectors. Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) stand at the forefront of guiding corporate boards through this complex legal terrain. More →
Expert Briefing: Tackling Sustainability in the finance sector
18 Dec 2023
This expert briefing is based on a discussion with David Rouch, a Partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP and author of The Social Licence for Financial Markets (Palgrave Macmillan 2020). More →
Róisin Finnegan, Intern: Law and Climate Atlas, University of Cambridge
13 Dec 2023
As we launch our updated Law and Climate Atlas 2023, we talk to one student intern who worked on the project about her research and why the Atlas is an indispensable tool for lawyers and law firms. Róisin Finnegan joined… More →
Press Release: The Centre for Climate Engagement launches new Law and Climate Atlas for COP28
12 Dec 2023
The Centre for Climate Change Engagement (CCE), based at Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge, launched its Law and Climate Atlas during COP27 last year. Now in time for COP28, it is releasing an updated and expanded version: https://lawclimateatlas.org. More →
Expert Briefing: Air pollution, health risks and climate change
14 Sep 2023
Air pollution is estimated to be responsible for around 28,000 premature deaths in the UK each year. Extreme heat associated with climate change can increase pollution levels and exacerbates the health effects of breathing polluted air. This briefing explores the links between climate change, air pollution and health and the need for a holistic approach to policy development. More →
Expert Briefing: Planning law, levelling-up, and net zero
07 Jul 2023
Policy Briefing by Dr Samuel Ruiz-Tagle on Planning Law, Levelling-up and Net Zero: Empowering planning authorities to combat climate change More →
CCE 2023 Summer Internship Programme
25 Apr 2023
The Centre for Climate Engagement (CCE) at Hughes Hall is pleased to announce its summer internship programme, which offers several exciting opportunities to engage with our programmes and activities. More →
Dr Samuel Ruiz-Tagle, University of Cambridge
01 Feb 2023
The Centre for Climate Engagement’s spotlight interview series explores law for climate change through the lens of a range of experts. Samuel Ruiz-Tagle, Research Associate in Administrative Law and Governance at the Centre for Climate Engagement, considers the complexities of decision making aligning the needs of local communities with national objectives to deliver net zero. More →
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