Climate Crisis Film & Podcasts

IBA @ COP28: Everything everywhere all at once: Closing Speaker

Watch our discussion on the role of lawyers in tackling the climate crisis explores legal capacity building, regulatory steps, and the importance of climate-conscious lawyering.

IBA @ COP28: Everything everywhere all at once: Session 2

Watch our discussion on the role of lawyers in tackling the climate crisis explores legal capacity building, regulatory steps, and the importance of climate-conscious lawyering.

IBA @ COP28: Everything everywhere all at once: Session one

Watch our discussion on the role of lawyers in tackling the climate crisis explores legal capacity building, regulatory steps, and the importance of climate-conscious lawyering.

IBA @ COP28: Everything everywhere all at once: Opening Speaker

Watch our discussion on the role of lawyers in tackling the climate crisis explores legal capacity building, regulatory steps, and the importance of climate-conscious lawyering.

The role of lawyers and law associations in the Global Stocktake: Implementation at a domestic level

This discussion covers the unique role of law and law associations in regulating, training, and sharing best legal practice examples to further climate objectives & implementation strategies for the net zero transition and realisation of country NDCs.

COP28 capacity building: Africa in focus – facilitating the net transition

This session is the first of four thematic webinars focusing on the role of lawyers in the climate crisis. This session builds on our work at COP27 by engaging in outreach and highlighting the key areas of capacity building in the green transition, the implementation of nationally determined contributions, approaching roadblocks to investment and facilitating opportunities for lawyers in this space.

Lawyers and the climate emergency

The online panel event was held in support of the International Law Book Facility’s law undergraduate essay competition 2022-2023. The competition asks law undergraduates the question: What difference can lawyers make in tackling the climate emergency?

Experts Panel: Activating Decarbonization and Adaptation in Legal Practice - CLGD2022 | CISDL

This experts panel on Activating Decarbonization and Adaptation in Legal Practice was session 13 of Climate Law and Governance Day 2022. This session was hosted by the International Bar Association; American Bar Association; Law Society of England and Wales. It was chaired by Prof John Dernbach (Director, Environmental Law & Sustainability Center, Widener Univ Commonwealth Law School)..

Utilizing the law as a key tool toward addressing climate change and promoting equity

The IBA, along with the American Bar Association, the Brazilian Bar Association and the Law Society of England and Wales hosted two events during COP27 in Egypt. The official side event was held in the Blue Zone, and can be viewed on the UN’s YouTube channel here.

Cop27 Presidential address

In this presidential address, Deborah Enix-Ross, President of the American Bar Association, Beto Simonetti, President of the Order of Attorneys of Brazil (Brazillian Bar Association), Sternford Moyo, President of the International Bar Association and Lubna Shuja, President of the Law Society of England and Wales discuss their commitments of the climate crisis.

Legal associations and Bars at COP27: What happened in Sharm El-Sheikh and what’s next?

The session discusses the role of lawyers in tackling the climate crisis and the utilisation of lawyers in implementing climate commitments, topics that were well-received at COP27. Panellists talk about plans for 2023, including attendance at COP28.

The evolution and emergence of environmental justice

September 2021. This SEERIL webinar presents an overview of the topic of environmental justice through the lens of current developments by government actors, environmental NGOs and activists and corporate initiatives. The focus is on pragmatic ways that the law and lawyers can advance the goals of achieving environmental justice while representing their clients and doing public good. 

Planetary justice and accountability

August 2021. This IBA-Scotia Group 26 dialogue is intended to create pathways towards a bespoke arsenal of legal frameworks to enforce international, public and private accountability on climate and planetary crises, building on previous IBA reports.

Understanding H2

September 2021. Utilising hydrogen in place of fossil fuels is not straightforward, offering many challenges as well as opportunities. This SEERIL session looks at the arising science and policy issues, the growing focus of governments and companies on hydrogen, as well as what lawyers need to know to advise clients and anticipate issues and changes within this discourse.

Burning down the house

June 2021. The role of lawyer regulators in addressing climate change for domestic and international legal services. As lawyers, we have traditionally taken our clients as we find them, including their political, economic, social or moral views or activities. Our representation is not an endorsement of the client. But the lines have started to blur, particularly in relation to climate change.

Environmental crimes and ICC jurisdiction

May 2021. Considering the circumstances under which environmental crimes may carry individual criminal liability in international criminal law, as well as the avenues of redress the current landscape of international justice offers to communities affected by environmental crimes.

Harnessing the law to protect the planet

February 2021. A webinar arranged jointly by the IBAHRI and the Coalition for an International Court for the Environment, on how the legal system needs to adapt in order to combat environmental issues ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, November 2021.

Preventing Climate Chaos: Judicial, Legal and Policy Developments

This session at the 2016 IBA Annual Conference in Washington, DC, provides an update on the latest developments aimed at achieving justice and human rights in an era of climate disruption.

Climate change: achieving justice and human rights in an era of climate disruption

This showcase Session at the 2014 IBA Annual Conference in Tokyo presents highlights of IBA Presidential Task Force report Achieving Justice and Human Rights in an Era of Climate Disruption.

Mary Robinson – Interviews on Climate Justice

Mary Robinson speaks about the challenges after the 2015 Paris Agreement and the role of women in leading the global fight against climate breakdown, at the IBA Annual Conference, Rome 2018.

A conversation with... John Kerry

A frank, insightful and authoritative conversation ahead of the 2020 US elections, with the former Democratic nominee for the US Presidency discussing the US’ role in today’s world, multilateralism, China, Israel, Palestine and climate change.

Climate Change Justice and Human Rights – Concepts for Legal and Institutional Reforms

In this showcase session at the 2013 IBA Annual Conference in Boston, legal, economic and human rights experts offered their insights as to reforms and actions appropriate to effect climate justice.

Preventing Climate Chaos; Judicial, Legal and Policy Developments

This session at the 2015 IBA Annual Conference in Vienna provides updates on significant developments in using legal mechanisms to achieve justice and human rights in an era of climate disruption.

Mary Robinson – Interviews on Climate Justice

At the IBA Annual Conference, Tokyo 2014, Mary Robinson tackles the question of what actions the international community can and should be taking on climate justice.

Mohamed Nasheed Interview on Climate Change and Justice

At the IBA Annual Conference, Tokyo 2014, Mohamed Nasheed, former President of the Maldives, discusses rising sea levels, forced migration and food security, as well as the role of the law.

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The climate crisis - podcast

David Boyd, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, Jasper Teulings, Greenpeace’s General Counsel, and Roberto Cadiz, the Philippines’ Commissioner on Human Rights, speak to Global Insight.

Climate change: a tipping point

UN Special Envoy Mary Robinson, former US Vice-President Al Gore and the former President of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, outline their climate justice hopes for the UN COP21 climate talks.

Populism and climate justice

Following UK’s Brexit vote and the actions of the Trump administration, Mary Robinson outlines her concerns over the rise of populism and the implications for climate justice.

James Thornton, CEO of ClientEarth - filmed interview

In this filmed interview, James Thornton of environmental public interest law firm ClientEarth discusses the use of the law and litigation to protect the Earth, air pollution litigation, diesel emissions scandals, Brexit and environmental law, China’s long-term vision for the environment, the Paris Agreement, Divestment from fossil fuels, climate change risk and the threat of the 'carbon bubble', the US and its short-term approach to the environment, and challenges facing environmental lawyers.