Launch of the Strathclyde Centre for Environmental Law and Governance
On 3rd May in the evening, we celebrated the formal launch of the revamped Centre for Environmental Law and Governance as a larger group that aims to identify and shape emerging areas of legal research in environmental governance with a strong focus on development. The launch gave SCELG and opportunity to share its vision about:
- collaborative research on the role of law across different levels and across different areas of environmental governance;
- innovative teaching geared towards students' global employability, including by providing CV- and network-buildingopportunities (through international consultancies, pro-bono work and research projects);
- collaborations with global practitioners, such as the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, the Food and Agriculture Organization, UNESCO and others, to identify research needs and legal bottlenecks to achieve equity and sustainability.
The launch also featured a keynote lecture from Professor Michael Gerrard, who is Director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University in New York. Prof Gerrard’s address was entitled Legal Tools to Force Corporate Adaptation to Climate Change: Environmental Impact Assessment, Energy Regulation, and License Conditions. The fascinating address covered the role played by universal regulatory systems - public utility regulation and environmental impact assessment - and included some interesting case studies on US infrastructure and building.
In the ensuing discussion, SCELG members highlighted their work on environmental impact assessment and human rights, traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities, environmental justice, biodiversity and economic law.
The video recording of the official SCELG launch and the video-recording of Prof. Gerrard’s lecture are available on the SCELG YouTube channel. Professor Gerrard's presentation can be found here: Presentation Professor Michael Gerrard
