Professor Veerle Heyvaert\, LSE Law School (Chair)
This event is co-hosted by the LSE Law School\, the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment\, and Doughty Street Chambers.
Climate Change Litigation is a growing global phenomenon. The Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change has recognised that such litigation may influence the “outcome and ambition” of climate governance. To date\, close to 300 climate litigation cases have been filed in Europe\, either before national or regional courts. European legislators are now in the process of finalising negotiations on sweeping new legislative reforms to implement the goals of the European Climate Law\, which requires the bloc to reduce emissions by 55% by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality by 2050. This legislative package will have a profound impact on the future direction of climate litigation across the continent.
At the same time\, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights\, has announced a series of hearings on pending climate change litigation cases\, starting on 29th March 2023 and continuing through the summer. The cases\, Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v. Switzerland\, Carême v. France\, and Duarte Agostinho and Others v. Portugal and 32 Others\, all allege that climate change is impacting on the human rights of European citizens\, and that European governments are failing in their duty to prevent these impacts.
This event will bring together experts in climate law and human rights from the London School of Economics and the University of Zurich\, and counsel in the Klimaseniorinnen and Agostinho cases. We will start by providing an overview of legislative developments in Europe\, building on an upcoming report from the Grantham Research Institute\, before turning the spotlight on the cases before the European Court of Human Rights and the profound impact they may have on the future of climate law in Europe and beyond.
Professor Veerle Heyvaert\, LSE Law School (Chair)
Catherine Higham\, Policy Fellow\, Grantham Research Institute
Professor Christina Voigt\, University of Oslo
Marc Willers KC\, Garden Court Chambers\, Counsel in the Klimaseniorinnen case
Margherita Cornaglia\, Doughty Street Chambers\, Counsel in the Agostinho case
Panel discussion and Q&A\, chaired by Veerle Heyvaert
Details of the hybrid Q&A Session
An equal number of questions will be selected from the in person and online audience. Questions from the online audience will be selected by LSE colleagues and read into a microphone so that online and in-person panellists and speakers can both hear them.
The event will be followed by a drinks reception