Environmental and Energy Law
Environmental protection is essential to guarantee climate stability. Thus, we investigate how environmental law tools, e.g., planning law and nature conservation law, can provide a basis to enhance climate mitigation and adaptation measures.
Reform in the energy sector, as one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, is crucial when addressing climate change. We thus seek to evaluate and analyze the nuanced and interlinked methods within global, regional and national energy laws to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
Our research on environmental and energy law focuses on a range of topics, including:
- soil and water protection
- air pollution control
- nature conservation
- energy transitions
- developments in renewable energies
- energy access at a global, regional and national level
- energy and sustainable development
- community energy projects and initiatives
- smart grids
- just decarbonisation in the energy sector
- international energy policies
- trade in energy services
Green Transitions
The transition to a greener society has become the focus of many international institutions as well as individual nations. In understanding the necessity to support the transition to a more green and inclusive society, many international, regional and national legislative bodies have introduced policies and processes to support this transition. We thus analyze and review these policies to determine the how, when, where, why and who and the green transition debate.
Our research on green transitions focuses on a range of topics, including:
- just transitions
- the European Green Deal
- national policies which support green transitions
- digital transitions
- circular economies
Climate Litigation
While emerging in the 2000s in the U.S., climate litigation has become a global phenomenon spanning across the five continents. Through climate lawsuits, plaintiffs seek to enforce stricter climate protection measures by states and companies. Its fast development makes climate litigation as challenging to capture in one definition, as compelling to observe and discuss it.
Our research on climate litigation focuses on:
- comparative strategic climate litigation
- human rights-based litigation
- socio-legal aspects of climate litigation (e.g. governance, impacts)
- comparative research on global North-South
- climate litigation & justice
- climate litigation & science
Participation
Public participation in environmental decision making has seen a huge shift in public support in the implementation and execution of environmental goals. In researching the legal foundations for public participation within the field of environmental law and climate law, we are better able to understand how and in what ways the public can assist in shaping and achieving present and future climate related goals.
Our research on Participation in Environmental and Climate Law related Decision Making focuses on a range of topics, including:
- international laws and processes
- implemented legislation and programmes which enforce and ensure participation
- participation, public engagement and access to information
- access to justice and final decision making
- participation in the development of climate policy
- environmental impact assessments and permits
- intersections between environmental law and tort law
Interdisciplinary Research
A philosopher once said, “Jeder gute Jurist ist immer ein misslungenes Was Anderes”. The phrase fits very well with the climate law field, where as legal scholars, we have the task to understand the scientific, moral and political challenges behind climate protection.
At ClimLaw: Graz we are committed to find legal answers to questions raised by new scientific insights, technical innovations and social developments.
Our interdisciplinary research focuses on:
- Legitimate expectations in the transition to a low carbon-society
- Procedural rights to a fair transition
- Mobility, fair transition, and the law
- Ethical and scientific aspects of climate litigation
