This episode delves into a critical examination of how the legal system is increasingly becoming a frontline battleground in the fight against climate change. In a conversation that covers the impact of climate-related court decisions on governments and corporations, the potential outcomes of landmark cases like Juliana v. the United States, the legal obligations towards future generations, and the emerging “rights of nature” movement, host Emmanuel Kattan explores the overarching questions surrounding climate litigation.
To shed light on these issues, Vis a Vis invited Columbia University’s Michael Berger, the executive director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, and Marta Torre-Schaub, a professor of Environmental Law from Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne.
Tune in for an insightful exploration of how courts are shaping climate policy and justice.
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Marta Torre-Schaub is a lawyer specialized in Environmental Law and more particularly, in Climate Change Law from a wide and pluridisciplinary prospect. She is a Senior Professor Researcher at the French National Center for Scientific Research at the Paris 1-Sorbonne University and Director of the Climate Change and Law Network for Researchers. She teaches Environmental Law Courses at the Master of Environmental Law and Sustainable Development at Paris 1-Sorbonne University. She leads the Research Program Joint Project on Climate Change Law and Climate Justice with the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University and a Research Program supported by the Mission Droit et Justice about Climate Change Justice Litigation. Additionally, Professor Torre-Schaub is the author of several publications, including books, essays, articles and reports and the founder of a Researchers’ Network on Climate Change Law.
As Executive Director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Michael leads a dynamic team that is at the forefront of domestic and international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote climate change adaptation through pollution control, resource management, land use planning and green finance. Past and present projects involve collaborations with local and national environmental groups and government representatives, as well as international organizations such as the United Nations Environment Program, the United Nations Development Program, and the International Red Cross. Michael is a widely published scholar, a frequent speaker at conferences and symposiums, and a regular source for media outlets. He has taught at Columbia Law School, NYU Law School and Roger Williams School of Law, and has lead short courses on climate change and human rights in the Hague and Grand Cayman. He is also a co-founder and member of the Environmental Law Collaborative. Michael is Of Counsel at Sher Edling LLP, a boutique plaintiffs firm that represents states, cities, public agencies, and businesses in high-impact, high-value environmental cases.
Credits
Host: Dr. Emmanuel Kattan
Editor and Producer: Monica Beatrice Hunter-Hart
Producer: Georgia O’Neil