Society must recognize that climate change, as well as the current pandemic and ongoing racial injustices, are sustainability and security crises. The three dimensions of environmental, social and economic welfare are not only key pillars of sustainable development, but also essential factors for security. We see significant law and policy challenges in accounting for large scale disruptions due to climate change and environmental degradation including mass migration, food insecurity, natural disasters, inequality, access to clean water, and the breakdown of the civil society.

More specifically, how does law – legal structures, frameworks, institutions and safeguards – matter for climate justice and security? How can significant global security risks be accounted for and peace promoted or ensured? What is the role of environmental law, broadly defined (food, energy, land use, natural resources law)? Given the similar potentially destabilizing effects of the climate crisis (e.g., protests and social unrest, disparate racial and economic impacts), what can we learn about the effectiveness of various legal tools from the responses to COVID-19 and protests against police brutality?

This Workshop attempts to highlight cutting-edge, transformational, interdisciplinary and thought-provoking research offering insight into the role of national and international public law, litigation, and private governance in promoting social-ecological resilience, sustainable development and justice, as well as the relationship of law to effective civil disobedience and activism—all in an effort to increase global peace and security in relation to the climate crisis.

Topics for papers and presentations could include, but were not limited to, how legal tools intersect with: 

• climate migration and climate refugees 
• food justice and food security 
• economic and social impacts/inequalities/disparities of the climate and COVID-19 
• crises on vulnerable communities 
• defining resilience and justice in times of the climate crisis 
• the links between institutional racism and climate change/public health 
• the role of a green restart/green new deal 
• loss of local culture and traditions due to climate change 
• public health and emotional well-being in the climate crisis 
• gender-based violence and the environment/climate crisis