Law School hosted an International Law Association conference
On 28 and 29 April 2022, the University of Surrey School of Law hosted the International Law Association British Branch Spring Conference on the theme, ‘International Law and Climate Change’.
Panels were convened on rising sea levels, climate change in foreign investment disputes, the use of human rights law to implement global emission targets and litigation strategy in national courts for the climate change regime. A round-table panel with four eminent speakers discussed the role of the World Trade Organization and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to address the climate change agenda as well as the structure and effectiveness of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change regime in light of the 2021 Glasgow Conference. A keynote speech was delivered by Professor Catherine Redgwell, Chichele Professor of International Law at the University of Oxford.
Convened in hybrid mode with an even mixture of remote and in-person participation by speakers and attendees, the Conference saw an estimated reduction in the greenhouse gas footprint of 75% from what would have been the case, had it been held entirely in-person. Supported by funding from the Society of Legal Scholars ‘The Law School and the Climate Crisis’ Fund, the Organising Committee, led by Dr Arman Sarvarian, produced detailed footprint estimates and submitted a report to the Society and the International Law Association on conference organisational methods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
