We are pleased to report that the first series of talks in our Just Transition conversations with invited speakers were a great success. The events brought together a diverse group of scholars, experts, and practitioners from around the world to discuss and explore the concept of just transition and were characterized by lively discussions and debates on various aspects of just transitions.  

 

Michelle Zang (University of Wellington, New Zealand) 

'Indigenous interests under international trade and investment law'  

23 March 2023 

Indigenous interests and inclusivity in international trade and investment policy constitutes the main research enquiry of this project. In particular, the project explores the ways in which international economic governance can accommodate, preserve and promote the interests of indigenous people that are the most marginalized community to benefit from economic and social justice.  On the one hand, research will investigate the manner and extent to which international and domestic legal frameworks have approached and addressed the rights and interests of indigenous communities; on the other hand, it is equally important to look into the opportunities to increase the involvement and participation of the same communities in the making of such legal frameworks.  Two country-specific case studies will be developed under the project, respectively exploring the system in New Zealand in protection for Maori group and in Norway towards the Sami people. The preliminary presumption is that the country’s political and institutional setting in relation to indigenous interests is the key element that determines the government’s approach and performance in the area, as demonstrated in their rule-making exercise both domestically and internationally. 

 

Karen Bell (University of Glasgow) 

'Working Class Environmentalism - Policies for a Just Transition' 

7 March 2023  

The presentation will discuss how to develop green transitions which benefit, include and respect working class people, with a particular emphasis on policy.  It will describe how current environmental, including net zero, practice, policy and thinking can be discriminatory towards working class people and prevent the attainment of sustainability. 

 

Justine Blendel (University of Copenhagen)  

'Common concern of humankind and forests: towards a new legal protection?'

3 March 2023 

International law no longer focuses solely on creating bilateral obligations on states, based on reciprocity. Instead, some areas of international law – specifically environmental and human rights law – have developed on the basis of public interests. For instance, many multilateral environmental agreements (such as the Paris Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity) recognise common concern of humankind as one of the reasons for their existence. But it is not clear what the benefits of including this concept are. On the contrary, it has often been argued that it has very little legal consequences. 

However, the concept of common concern of humankind could potentially have impacts on the protection of forests. Indeed, because the protection of forests by international law is scattered and incomplete, this concept could come to the rescue of forests, at least normatively. International regimes that directly apply to forests are the climate change and biodiversity regimes. Yet, they do not always see eye to eye, and only offer some partial protection, in silos. What could unite these two regimes is the concept of common concern of humankind.  

The question therefore is: Can this concept that is at the root of those two fields of international law either unify or connect them, for the benefits of forests, especially in their concrete implementation in national territories? 

First published: 29 March 2023

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