Law and Climate Change: A Red Hot Challenge

As part of events to mark the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26) to be held at Glasgow from 31 October- 12 November, the School of Law, University of Bradford, is organising a symposium on the theme: Climate Change: A Red Hot Challenge on Wednesday 10th November 2021.

The world meets at Glasgow against the backdrop of an increasing urgency for global action to address the climate change challenge. The consensus is that climate change action requires joined-up action from diverse sectors, disciplines and stakeholders. Against this backdrop, the panel will explore some of the urgent issues, challenges and opportunities for climate action. A key theme of the discussions will be the central role which law plays in providing a supporting framework for process against the broader socio-political background for global action. The symposium will therefore be relevant to researchers, students, civil society, business and career professionals from diverse backgrounds with an interest in climate action.

About the speakers

Professor Engobo Emeseh

Professor Emeseh has extensive experience in higher education both within and outside the UK. She has led the development of innovative market relevant degree schemes, portfolio reviews, and diversification of delivery formats to cater to a wide audience, maximise resources, and improve the student learning experience, including external engagement and skills development. Her research is broadly in the area of environmental law and policy, with particular interests in regulation and enforcement, environmental justice, corporate social responsibility, and the interface between environmental regulation and international economic law.

Professor Prathivadi Anand

P.B.Anand is Professor of Public Policy and Sustainable Development and Head of Peace Studies and International Development at the University of Bradford where he has been teaching since 1998. He is a member of the Council of the Development Studies Association and a Fellow of the Human Development and Capability Association. He previously worked in a development bank India and managed an executive education programme portfolio at Bradford for the staff of China Development Bank (2007 – 13) and the Aga Khan Foundation (2013- 15). He was the principal author and team leader of the Mongolia Human Development Report 2011 and contributed to other UNDP studies on climate change, extractive economies, and sustainable development.

Professor Raphael Heffron

Professor Heffron is Professor for Global Energy Law & Sustainability at the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy at the University of Dundee. As of July 2019 he is also Jean Monnet Professor in the Just Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy awarded by the European Commission. In 2020, he was also appointed as Senior Counsel at Janson law firm in Brussels (Belgium). His work all has a principal focus on achieving a just transition to a low-carbon economy, and combines a mix of energy law, policy and economics. He has published over 150 publications of different types and is the most cited scholar in his field worldwide (1600+Scopus) with translated work in multiple languages including Chinese. 

Dr Pedi Obani

Pedi has worked in the higher education sector since 2012, collaborating extensively with academics in Nigeria, Ghana and the United Kingdom, among others. Between 2019 and 2020, she worked with the United Nations University as a Research Fellow in Environmental Policy, developing and leading the UNU-INRA’s workstream on knowledge for quality natural resource governance in Africa. Her research interests revolve around inclusive development and sustainability, particularly the interactions between law and climate change, governance of water and other natural resources, and intersecting forms of human vulnerability.

Tim Lloyd

Tim is an attorney in the Pollution & Climate Change Programme at the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) in South Africa. His work at the Centre has predominately involved leading a lawsuit against the South African government – known as the Deadly Air case – in which two environmental justice organisations have approached the High Court for an order declaring that the poor ambient air quality in the Highveld Priority Area constitutes a violation of the constitutional right to an environment not harmful to health or well-being.