CEENRG Thursday seminars: 'The interaction of lawyers with the Rio Conventions’ implementation and compliance'

Speaker: Tejas Rao (PhD Candidate & CEENRG Researcher, Department of Land Economy, University of Cambridge)

The Cambridge Centre for Environment, Energy, and Natural Resource Governance (C-EENRG) is hosting a seminar series throughout the 2023- 24 academic year.

This research examines how international lawyers engage with implementation and compliance mechanisms of the Rio Conventions. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork at UNFCCC COP27–29, CBD COP15–16 and CCD COP15–16, it investigates the roles, functions, and organisation of legal professionals within bodies such as the Paris Agreement Implementation and Compliance Committee, the Nagoya Protocol Compliance Committee and the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention. By analysing examples including NDC drafting, interpretive guidance and compliance reviews, this study reveals how rules of treaty interpretation shape perceptions of compliance and implementation. The study aims to cast light on the emergence of a specialised community of practice and reflect on its implications for the evolution of treaty regimes and the future of environmental governance.

Seminars take place as hybrid meetings (in person seminars in the DAB - David Attenborough Building + online in Zoom) every Thursday (please check precise time as may vary) during the term. Please register online to receive the Zoom link on the day of the seminar. Everyone is welcome!