Our Future in the Balance: The Role of Courts and Tribunals in Meeting the Climate Crisis

The global life-threatening effects of climate change pose an ‘imperative’ that all countries must address both independently and cooperatively with urgency.

The law can also play a pivotal role in this process. Hausfeld partnered with the British Institute for International and Comparative Law (BIICL) to host a landmark international virtual summit to explore the role of courts and tribunals in addressing global climate governance, with a focus on the separation of powers in climate litigation.

Held at a critical point in the lead-up to COP26 – the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference – and at a time when the law is becoming more prominent in responding to and playing a part in tackling the climate crisis, this two day event which was held on 7 and 8 July 2021 (14.00 – 16.45 BST | 9.00 – 11.45 ET) brought together world-leading experts in this field, including judges, policymakers, academics, legal practitioners, natural, political, and social scientists, economists, public health experts, civil society representatives, leading youth activists, and other stakeholders who discussed the role and impact of the judiciary in responding to climate change.

The summit was made up of plenary sessions during two half days and a series of parallel closed expert workshops which addressed different angles of this topic with leading specialists in the area of climate change. It was free to attend and generated interesting debates on key topics relating to the ongoing climate crisis.