Episode 2: The (intended) impact of climate change litigation on corporate due diligence

Concept

Developments around mandatory human rights due diligence laws are multiplying across Europe, and increasingly include climate change impacts within their scope. As a result, companies, regulators, judges, legal advisors, civil society and the public are asking what the legal implications of these due diligence laws will be for companies relating to their climate change impacts.

In this webinar series of the newly established BIICL Human Rights Due Diligence Forum, the discussion will turn on the nature of due diligence as a legal standard of care, how this can be applied in relation to climate change, and what the practical implications for companies are likely to be.

Programme

We are witnessing an increasing wave of strategic climate change litigation. Traditionally brought against states, to date we have seen a few cases against companies. Civil claims are often focused on compensatory damages which, even if awarded, may not necessarily lead to a change in the practices or governance within the relevant company or industry.

This panel will consider whether climate change litigation is even intended to have impacts on corporate due diligence, whether there is any evidence that litigation to date (ongoing, successful or otherwise) have resulted in changes in companies' due diligence practices, and whether we can expect litigation to increasingly drive corporate due diligence in the future, given the move towards mandatory legal requirements and ever more widespread recognition of the climate emergency.

Speakers

• Olanrewaju Fagbohun, Lagos State University
  
• Stijn Franken, NautaDutilh N.V.
  
• Ingrid Gubbay, Hausfeld 
• Jolene Lin, Director, Asia Pacific Centre for Environmental Law
  
• Annalisa Savaresi, Director for Europe, Global Network on Human Rights and the Environment
  
• Holly Stebbing, Norton Rose Fulbright LLP
  
• Sudhanshu Swaroop QC, Twenty Essex

Download the Speaker biographies    

Pricing and Registration

Attending the event is free of charge for members of the Human Rights Due Diligence Forum. Forum Members can register by emailing the Events team.

Charges to attend this session only are below. You can book for all sessions together here.

BIICL Members:
Episode 2 only: £10

Non-Members:
Episode 2 only: £15

   
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