Climate change is the biggest environmentalcrisis of our time. Especially in recent years, our planet has been exposed to environmental challenges caused or exacerbatedby climate change.The effects of climate changeinclude heatwaves, droughts, more frequent and powerful tropical cyclones, heavier monsoon rains, accelerated sea levelrise or biodiversity loss. In the face of worsening climate crisis, countries including theUK, Canada, France or Argentina,hundreds of cities (such as New York, London, Paris,Sydney or Berlin),Pope Francis and also the European Parliament stressed the urgencyof enhanced ambition to tackle climatechange and declared climate emergency. The term “emergency” is a way ofsignalling the need to go beyond reform-as-usual. According to the IPCC, theglobal response to climate change should comprise transitions in land and ecosystem, energy, urban, infrastructure andindustrial systems. In addition, according to the EU’s 8th EnvironmentAction Programme, it means living within planetary boundaries. Energy transition, a pathway toward transformation of the globalenergy sector from fossil-based to zero-carbon, appears to be unavoidable.
Recent geopolitical tensionsthreaten the EU’s ability to import sufficient volumes of energyresources at affordable prices. A Gazprom’s suspension of gasdeliveries to several EU member states furtherworsened EU’s energy security. Energy prices have spiked to levels not seen in decades. In response to an unprecedented energy crisis, the EU Commissionintroduced REPowerEU – comprehensive plan aimed at rapidly reducingEU’s dependence on Russianfossil fuels. On the one hand, the REPowerEU plan sets out a seriesof measures to speed up EU’s greentransition and spurmassive investment in renewable energy (the Commission isproposing to increase the EU’s 2030 target for renewables from the current 40%to 45%). On the other hand, some EU members stepped up efforts in coal and mining to find a remedy to this crisis. The amount of coal consumed by EU countries rose from 449 million tons in 2021 to 478 million tons in 2022. Several EU member states have announced the extension or reopening of coal-fired power plants that were shut down in response to climate change issues. Itis generally acknowledged that a short-term and temporary prioritisation of EU’s energy security is necessary, however, EU’s long term climate objectives should not be compromised.
the conference aims to explore and discuss:
a) the role of energy and environmental law in responding to climate emergency;
b) the role of energy law in addressing the energy crisis;
c) the role of energy law in reducing EU’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels;
d) compatibility of the REPowerEU plan with the EU’s climate objectives;
e) EU’s effort to balance its energy security and climate ambitions.
Applications can be submitted via e-mail to the following address: martin.svec@mail.muni.cz by 25 March 2023.
Please include the following information: The author’s name and affiliation;
A 500-700-word abstract [Word file or PDF];
The author’s CV, including a list of relevant publications, if applicable; The author’s contact details, including e-mail address and phone number;
Whether the author is an ESIL member (Beingan ESIL Memberis not a requirement to submit an abstract)
Interdisciplinary and co-authored papers are also welcomed.
Seniorandjunior scholars (including PhD students) are invited to participate in the call for papers.More abstracts can be submitted, but only one abstract per author will be accepted.
Applications will be reviewed, and all applicants will be informedof the decision of the selection committee soon after the deadline.
Registration fee: 95 Euro
The conferencewill take place from April 13th to 15th 2023 in the University Center Telč, under the patronage of the Faculty of Law of the Masaryk University.
The conference organizers have publication plansfor the presented papers. The precise nature and format of publication will be discussed in more detailduring the conference, however, the organizerspreliminary vision is to publish an edited book with an internationalpublisher or a special section or special issue of a Journal.
MARTIN SVEC
Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
Chamu Kuppuswamy (University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom),Martin Svec (Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic), Daria Boklan (HSEUniversity), Paolo Davide Farah (West Virginia University, USA & gLAWcal – Global Law Initiatives for Sustainable Development, United Kingdom),
The conference is jointly organized by the ESIL Interest Groupon International Environmental Law and Masaryk University, Faculty of Law.
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