Sustainability, Human Rights and Climate Justice

In the face of an accelerating climate crisis and ongoing political fragmentation, the twin challenges of sustainability and climate justice are confronting national and international law and legal practice in new ways, demanding innovation and fresh thinking across multiple domains.

This book brings together leading experts from across Europe and from North and South America representing academia, legal practice, and the judiciary. It assesses existing legal instruments across various domains that intersect with sustainability and climate law, and considers the development of new instruments to accelerate progress towards environmental sustainability, protection of human rights, and climate justice.

Taken as a whole, this edited collection covers a wide range of topics from both public and private law, demonstrating how climate change and sustainability are affecting virtually every field of law and, in the process, opening up new opportunities for dialogue and engagement with partners from government, civil society, academia, and the private sector. The volume is organised into five main sections: Corporate Law, Trade Law, Patent Law, Consumer Law, and Climate Litigation.

The book is based on three annual conferences of the European Law Institute (ELI) project on “Climate Justice – New Challenges for Law and Judges”, held in Ferrara and Leuven, as well as on a series of seminars held within the framework of the ELI “Sustainability and Environmental Law Special Interest Group”.

Written for scholars, practitioners, judges, and legislators, this edited collection provides innovative perspectives on some of the most important legal challenges posed by the climate crisis, establishing a solid foundation for further developments in national and international law.