You may find any news regarding the Expert Group, upcoming public presentations of the Climate Principles for Enterprises, or other noteworthy events and developments below.
If you or your organisation would like to invite one or more members of the Expert Group to present and/or discuss the Principles please get in touch. We are also most happy to accept invitations to write about the Principles.
Upcoming Events
Our future in the balance; The Role of Courts and Tribunals in Meeting the Climate Crisis
July 7-8, 2021 | London
Past Events
Ius commune conference
May 20, 2021 | Leuven
Presentation at the Global Justice Program of Yale
November 11, 2020 | New Haven
Jaap Spier delivered a presentation on the update of the Enterprises Principles at the annual conference of the Global Justice Program of Yale. See fot the text here
Presentation in the context of the EU Green Week
Oktober 22, 2020 | Brussels
Jaap Spier delivered a presentation on the necessity and desirebilty of recognizing intrinsic rights to Nature. See for the text here
Presentation on the Enterprises Principles at B.I.I.C.L.
September 10, 2020 | London
Jaap Spier delivered a presentation on the update of the enterprises principles. See for the text here.
Launch of the ClimLaw Institute
May 5, 2020 | Graz
Jaap Spier delivered the key note presentation at the Launch of the ClimLaw Institute Graz.
Presentation at Clyde&Co
February 19, 2020 | London
Jaap Spier delivered a presentation on the consequences of the Urgenda judgment for the corporate world.
Guest Lecture at the Free University of Amsterdam
February 18 & 25, 2020 | Amterdam
Jaap Spier and Bastiaan Kock delivered a presentation on The Enterprises Principles and liability for climate change losses.
Guest Lecture at the University of Stellenbosch
February 10, 2020 | Stellenbosch, South Africa
Jaap Spier and Bastiaan Kock delivered a presentation on the Enterprises Principles and liability for climate change losses.
Science Based Rules on Plastic: Regulating Plastic Pollution
January 27, 2020 | Lorentz Center, Leyden University
Jaap Spier and Bastiaan Kock delivered the key note speach on the challenges posed by formulating Principles on legal obligations of Enterprises.
Climate change event
January 20, 2020 | University of Pasau, Germany
Jörg Fedtke, Bastiaan Kock, Brian Preston, Jaap Spier and endorser Bernard Koch as well as Ulrich Magnus discussed liability for carbon emissions, a seperate yet interrelated topic.
See: https://www.digital.uni-passau.de/index.php?id=234&L=1
International conference: Judges in Utopia
November 8, 2019 | UvA, Amsterdam
Bastiaan kock and Jaap Spier discussed the role of courts in climate change litigation.
Anniversary conference of the Amsterdam BAR
Juli 17, 2019 | Amsterdam
Jaap Spier presented the Enterprises Principles: whishful thinking?
Panel at Conference on Climate Responsibilities of Business at Nyenrode Business University
January 18, 2019 | Nyenrode Business University
Jaap Spier will present on the Climate Principles for Enterprises as part of a panel discussion on “Business and Climate: Change Governance and strategy”. Other panelists will include Prof Tineke Lambooy (Nyenrode); Wim Bartels; Rebecca Scholten (Lead CR of EY); Marjan van Loon (CEO Shell Netherlands) (tbc).
The full conference lasts until 15:30. Other themes will be:
- Climate Justice and human rights-based cases around the world
- State and Human Rights institutions on Climate Change and Human Rights
- Responsibilities of business based on tort law.
Click here for a short report of the conference (in Dutch).
Discussion at the Climate Film Festival, COP24
December 7, 2018 | Katowice
Jaap Spier will be part of a discussion on ‘Human rights go green’. His keynote speech touched on whether the principles or tenets for an adequate response of our societies to the challenge of the climate change are being framed in the language of fundamental rights, or whether a human rights approach is not really central in the ongoing debate on such a response to the climate change. Jaap talked about the way the thought on such principles of obligations of the most important actors in the public and private sector concerning climate change has developed until now, and how he expects it to continue developing in the future. Finally, Jaap assessed the impact of scientific reflection and propositions for standards emerging from academia on the relevant political process and its main actors – states, international governmental and nongovernmental organisations as well as private business. The discussion took place in the context of a film screening of the movie Anote’s Ark. For more information and to register, click here.
Presentation at University of Graz Environmental Law forum 2018
November 8, 2018 | Graz
Jaap Spier will present on the “Oslo Principles and Climate Principles for Enterprises” at the international conference “Climate Change, Responsibility and Liability” at the University of Graz’s Environmental Law forum 2018. For more information about the conference, click here. To register, click here.
Meeting with the Human Rights Commission of the Philippines
November 6, 2018 | London School of Economics
Jaap Spier will meet with the Commission to discuss the Climate Principles for Enterprises in relation to the Commission’s investigation into the responsibility of oil majors for the human rights impacts of climate change. This meeting is chaired by the LSE in London.
Presentations at American Universities
September 17, 2018 12.00 | Tulane Law School September 19, 2018 16.40 | Loyola Law School September 20, 2018, 11.30 | Tulane Law School
Jaap Spier presented on the Climate Principles for Enterprises during a trip to the United States.
Session at PRI in Person 2018
September 13, 2018 | San Francisco, USA
For the time being, enterprises are in the dark about their legal obligations in the face of climate change. That hampers compliance; it is an obstacle for proper disclosures and the assessment of the liability risk in case of non-compliance; investors cannot assess whether their (prospective) investees meet their obligations.
The Principles on Climate Obligations of Enterprises aim to discern these obligations. The legal debate is increasingly about compensation of losses caused by climate change. Two recent decisions by US federal courts on liability for climate damage may lead investors and corporations to believe that liability associated with the failure to reduce GHG emissions is not an issue for concern.
This session will consider the prospects of liability related to the failure to reduce emissions, similar to liabilities arising from the use of asbestos, and consider principles that could protect investors and corporations from future liability claims.
The session will be chaired by Nathan Fabian, Director of Policy & Research at the PRI. Jaap Spier (Reporter & Author of the Commentary), Associate Justice Michael D. Wilson (Hawaii Supreme Court), and Sarah Barker (Special Counsel, Minter Ellison Lawyers) will speak at the session.
For more information about PRI in Person 2018, click here. For a full list of side events, click here.
Session at the 16th Annual Colloquium of the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law
July 5, 2018 | Glasgow, Scotland
Jaap Spier will present the Principles at a session entitled ‘Climate Change, Business and Human Rights’. For more information on this specific session, click here. For more general information about the IUCN AEL Colloquium and how to attend, click here.
Guest Lecture at the University of Passau
June 28, 2018 | Passau, Germany
Jaap Spier will present the Principles at a public event organised by the Law Faculty of the University of Passau. The event does not require registration; more information available here.
Guest Lecture at the Law Faculty of the University of Valencia
April 27, 2018 | Valencia, Spain
Guest Lecture at the University of the Western Cape
February 22, 2018 | Cape Town, South Africa
Panel Debate at the London School of Economics & Political Science
January 25, 2018 | London, United Kingdom
Two members of the Expert Group – Jaap Spier and Philip Sutherland will join a panel debate on ‘business responsibility and the climate crisis’. Other panelists will include Veerle Heyvaert (Department of Law, LSE) and Jessica Simor QC (barrister, Matrix Chambers). The discussion will be led by Robert Falkner of the Grantham Research Institute at LSE.
Event at the Principles for Responsible Investment
January 24, 2018 | London, United Kingdom
The Climate Principles for Enterprises will be presented by members of the Expert Group Jaap Spier, Brian Preston and Philip Sutherland. David Pitt-Watson, former Chair of the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative will also deliver a presentation.
The PRI is the world’s leading proponent of responsible investment. It works to understand the investment implications of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors and to support its international network of investor signatories in incorporating these factors into their investment and ownership decisions. The PRI acts in the long-term interests of its signatories, of the financial markets and economies in which they operate and ultimately of the environment and society as a whole. The six Principles for Responsible Investment are a voluntary and aspirational set of investment principles that offer a menu of possible actions for incorporating ESG issues into investment practice. The Principles were developed by investors, for investors. In implementing them, signatories contribute to developing a more sustainable global financial system. They have more than 1,750 signatories, from over 50 countries, representing approximately US$70 trillion.
The PRI is pleased to provide this opportunity for signatories to learn about the principles and developments in liability law.
Event at Hausfeld & Co, together with Client Earth
January 23, 2018 | London, United Kingdom
The Climate Principles for Enterprises will be introduced by three members of the Expert Group (Jaap Spier, Brian Preston and Philip Sutherland). James Thornton QC, CEO of ClientEarth will provide his perspective. A reception will follow.
Panel Event with NGOs
January 19, 2018 | Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The Climate Principles for Enterprises will be presented by three members of the Expert Group (Jaap Spier, Brian Preston and Philip Sutherland). Laurie van de Burg (Milieudefensie) will present on how they can be useful for NGOs, after which a discussion will follow. This event is exclusive to NGO representatives and lawyers active in this field. The aim of this event is to discuss among experts and practitioners the relevance of the Principles and the possibilities to apply them to avoid dangerous climate change.
Official Launch at the University of Amsterdam
January 18, 2018 | Amsterdam, the Netherlands
The Climate Principles for Enterprises will be presented to the public for the first time at the University of Amsterdam. The launch is sponsored by the Dutch Association for Liability Law. Next to presentations by members of the Expert Group, presentations will be delivered by Mark Campanale (founder of CarbonTracker), Nathan Fabian (Director of Research & Policy, UN PRI) and Geert Corstens (previous President of the Dutch Supreme Court).
Climate Principles for Enterprises 