Our Future in the Balance: The Role of Courts and Tribunals
International Virtual Summit 7 - 8 July 2021
Event Report
The British Institute for International and Comparative Law (BIICL) and global law firm Hausfeld partnered to host 'Our Future in the Balance: The Role of Courts and Tribunals in Meeting the Climate Crisis' , a landmark two-day international virtual summit exploring the role of courts and tribunals in global climate governance with a focus on the separation of powers in climate litigation.
This event was held at a critical moment in the lead-up to COP26 and at a time when the law is playing an increasingly important and visible role in responding to the climate crisis. The event combined keynotes, roundtables, and plenary sessions on two half days open to the public, as well as a series of parallel closed expert workshops that addressed different angles of the topic. Participants in the workshop included: judges; policymakers; academics; legal practitioners; natural, political, and social scientists; economists; public health experts; civil society representatives; leading youth activists; and other stakeholders. The ideas, insights and proposals emerging from the summit discussions will be elaborated upon to form the basis of a Declaration accessible to a global audience and will be part of a briefing package presented to the participants of the COP26 in Glasgow.
The present report provides a summary of the keynotes, roundtables, and plenary sessions, including links to the respective recordings. The main findings of the workshops will be distilled into the Declaration, mentioned above, and will, therefore, be made available at a later point.