International Climate Law Conference 2024

Shaping climate law: Dynamic roles of state and non-state actors 

We are delighted to announce the international climate law conference

Shaping climate law: Dynamic roles of state and non-state actors 

that will be held on 30–31 May 2024 in Prague

The conference is organised by the Centre for Climate Law and Sustainability Studies (CLASS), Institute of State and Law of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

About the conference

As the global response to climate change continues to evolve, so too do the roles of diverse actors in shaping climate law. This conference aims to explore how different stakeholders – ranging from governments, regions, cities, businesses, industry associations, courts, civil society, activists, NGOs and climate assemblies, energy communities, to individuals as voters and consumers, – are contributing to the formulation, implementation and enforcement of climate-related regulations.

The key actors are states, as international lawmakers and as creators and implementers of climate policies and measures. In addition, the importance of non-state actors in climate policy and law is indisputable. They play various roles in all stages, in the „before“ (setting the agenda), „during” (participation in negotiations and drafting), and „after“ (in enforcement and monitoring). Regions and cities are shaping local responses to climate change. Citizens, civil society and NGOs help to set the level of expectations. The international climate regime itself relies on them by emphasising transparency and cooperation as core principles. International and domestic courts play an increasing role in climate law within the climate litigation. While businesses are primarily objects of regulations and subject to legal actions regarding their climate accountability; they also serve as private rule-setters and drivers of innovation in tackling the climate crisis.

Keynote speakers announced: 

Prof. Laurence Boisson De Chazournes, Professor of international law at the University of Geneva Faculty of Law, Director of the LL.M. in International Dispute Settlement (MIDS) and Co-director of the Geneva Center for International Dispute Settlement (CIDS).

Prof. Annalisa Savaresi, Associate Professor, Center for Climate Change, Energy and Environmental Law, University of Eastern Finland, Professor of Environmental Law, University of Stirling (UK), Director for Europe, Global Network on Human Rights and the Environment, Associate Editor, Review of European, Comparative and International Environmental Law.

Dr. Moritz Reese, Deputy Head of the Department for Environmental & Planning Law at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Chairperson of the European Environmental Law Forum (eelf.info), Co-editor of the Journal for European Environmental & Planning Law (JEEPL), Lecturer in Environmental Law at the law faculty of Free University of Berlin.

The conference is planned as a face-to-face event. A moderate participation fee will be charged. Based on the conference themes, we plan to prepare a common collective volume, for which we will invite the participants to submit chapter abstracts shortly after the conference.

The call for papers will open in January.

Have a question? Contact us at conference@ilaw.cas.cz.