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

It is our honour and great pleasure to share that our invitation as keynote speakers has been accepted by:

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; Chairperson, EELF; Co-editor, JEEPL; Lecturer in Environmental Law at the law faculty of Free University of Berlin.

Call for abstracts

During this two-day conference, we aim to explore the different roles of actors in climate law, reflecting on their different nature, forms of engagement, stages, and effects. The conference committee invites abstracts by scholars at all academic stages, including PhD students, to share their research findings, ideally those linked to one of the research themes specified below:

1. The Role of States Internationally

This theme will focus on ‘making’, interpreting, and enforcing the international climate regime in the sense of international law development, where the states are the main actors. However, the influence of others is indisputable. Climate ambitions, global inequalities, NDCs or the role of regional organisations can also be addressed.

2. The Role of Governments Domestically

This topic will concentrate on framing and developing climate action nationally; for example how the national climate laws work, how various levels of governance may be involved in climate action, what is the role of cities and regions, or how to ensure a just transition.

3. The Role of Individuals and Civil Society

Here, different forms of civil society involvement in shaping climate law will be explored, from formal engagement in public participation processes or climate assemblies to activism and civil disobedience. Cross-cutting themes on individuals as consumers or voters in relation to law are also welcome, as well as the rights of children, and future generations, and their involvement.

4. The Role of Business

The contributions under this theme are welcome to deal with the business transition to net-zero, including supply chains, the climate dimension of corporate responsibility, the role of climate finance and investment in shaping climate governance and net-zero commitments by diverse actors and their delivery, including carbon offsetting, and businesses’ voluntary and mandatory climate reporting.

5. The Role of Courts

The leading theme of this session will be climate litigation, which is a growing trend in different forms, in different fora, and with different objectives. Any type of climate litigation, brought against any type of actors can be discussed here.

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.

Upon registration (starting in March), we are planning to charge a conference fee, which we estimate to be EUR 100–150 for regular attendants and EUR 50–100 for PhD students. The conference organisers regret that they are not able to arrange or fund participants’ travel or accommodation.

• Please send your abstracts of 300–500 words with a short biography (100 words) and indicate the theme (1–5) to conference@ilaw.cas.cz by 29th February 2024.
• Selected participants will be informed by 15th March 2024.

You can download the pdf version of the Call for abstracts here.

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. It will be co-funded by the Lumina quaeruntur Climate law project conducted at the Institute of State and Law CAS.

The conference committee:  Hana Müllerová, Monika Feigerlová and Eva Balounová (CLASS).

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