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 →
Consultation Response: 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 →
Blog: Organisational change and climate action
19 Dec 2022
Corporate climate action is increasingly regarded as critical for the future success of organisations. However, the actions taken by most organisations fall short in genuinely changing how their behaviours and activities impact the environment. A shift in thinking is necessary in order to move beyond stagnation and to accelerate effective climate action at the organisational level. More →
Nigel Brook, Clyde &Co
01 Dec 2022
Our Centre for Climate Engagement’s spotlight interview series explores law for climate change through the lens of a range of experts. Nigel Brook, who heads Clyde & Co’s UK reinsurance team and leads the firm’s global campaign on Resilience and Climate Change Risk, talks highs and lows of the transition to net zero. More →
COP27 Explained by Cambridge experts
28 Nov 2022
In this recent University of Cambridge video that hears from experts about the outcomes of COP27, Emily Farnworth, Director – Centre for Climate Engagement, highlights how our recent Law and Climate Atlas project is helping boards in the UK More →
Press Release: The Centre for Climate Engagement launches the Law and Climate Atlas
10 Nov 2022
A new initiative by the Centre for Climate Engagement at Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge, provides a valuable online resource to help lawyers drive the transition to net zero. More →
Professor Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger, Centre for International Sustainable Development Law
03 Nov 2022
In this Centre for Climate Engagement’s law for climate action spotlight interview series, we explore law for climate change through the lens of a range of experts in their fields. This month distinguished professor, scholar and expert jurist in law and… More →
Dr Markus Gehring, University of Cambridge
03 Oct 2022
In this Centre for Climate Engagement’s spotlight interview series, we explore law for climate action through the lens of a range of experts in their fields. This month, Dr Markus Gehring, Associate Professor and Director of the Centre for European… More →
Dr Emily Webster, University of Cambridge
01 Sep 2022
In this Centre for Climate Engagement’s spotlight interview series, we explore law for climate action through the lens of a range of experts in their fields. This month, Dr Emily Webster (†), Assistant Professor in Environmental Law at the Department… More →
Wendy Miles QC, Barrister, Twenty Essex
01 Aug 2022
In this Centre for Climate Engagement’s spotlight interview series, we explore law for climate action through the lens of a range of experts in their fields. This month’s interview is with Wendy Miles QC, a specialist in international dispute resolution, who makes the case for all lawyers to be climate fluent. More →
Emily Farnworth, Director, Centre for Climate Engagement
30 Jun 2022
Ahead of a new monthly series of law for climate action interviews, Emily Farnworth, Director of the Centre for Climate Engagement at Hughes Hall, sets out the urgency of the climate challenge and the potential of our existing legal framework to provide additional tools to drive change. More →
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