Concept Note
Presently, one of the most significant issues confronting any nation is the phenomena of climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has published reports that unequivocally demonstrate how, throughout the past century, greenhouse gas concentrations in the earth’s atmosphere have increased due to damaging emissions from human activity. There is no question that this has had a role in the recent global warming of the seas, the observed increase in atmospheric temperatures, and the losses brought on by extreme weather events. Virtually every ecological and socio-economic system is impacted by climate change. It is crucial to consider the effects of climate change in everything we do, as evidenced by the relationships it has with international seas, biodiversity, land degradation, forests, chemicals, and trash. Almost every element of our life is impacted by the climate, including our food supplies, transportation systems, clothing choices, and vacation destinations. It significantly impacts our future, our health, and our way of life.
While all nations must take steps to stop additional harm to the environment and to people, developed nations have a bigger share of the responsibility for contributing to climate change and are thus largely accountable for taking swift and decisive action to minimize loss and damage in the future. It is evident that States alone will not be able to bring about a global solution; bold action must also come from larger global communities that have not only exacerbated the climate catastrophe but also obstructed the development of meaningful regulations. In light of this, the Conference on Climate Change calls for an integrated and holistic approach to address the growing threat of global climate change by involving multiple stakeholders in order to educate the present and future generations.
Increasing public knowledge of the consequences of climate change on health will help to modify people’s behaviour and build support for the measures required to cut the adverse effects of climate change. In the increasingly urgent worldwide struggle against climate change, education is crucial. Understanding this phenomena inspires young people to modify their conduct, helps them confront the effects of global warming, and helps them adjust to what is already a worldwide disaster.
The goal of the Conference on Climate Change is to create a primary forum for the exchange of knowledge, recommendations, expert viewpoints, and forward-thinking thoughts related to the topic of climate change. In addition, the conference provides a wide range of interaction possibilities, such as networking sessions, keynote speeches by well-known academics on climate change, panel discussions, group discussions, and many more engaging experiences.
In the academic and research community, we recognise and acknowledge that intensifying the global response to climate change is imperative. All parties and actors must make commitments in order to achieve this. The conference drew inspiration from the multilateral discussions and negotiations held during various climate change conferences. There is still much to be done. This conference is a first step towards raising the bar for a brighter and greener tomorrow by promoting and propagating intra- and inter-generational fairness through climate action.
The conference shall be organised on 1st June, 2024 at the Institute of Law, Nirma University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat in Hybrid Mode. It will be the multidisciplinary and collaborative conference with multi-dimensional facets of climate change litigation and greenwashing to demonstrate and emphasize diverse traces of climate action across several academic disciplines and research studies.
A handful of enthusiastic participants and delegates will gather over the course of one day in to showcase their studies and assessments on climate change. There will be a global gathering of academicians, researchers, students, and policymakers from various disciplines and backgrounds to commemorate the commencement of this national conference on climate change litigation. Throughout this conference, distinguished speakers and experts will provide opening comments, and each session will focus on a different subject or topic related to climate change. All stakeholders are cordially invited to attend this conference.
The conference aims to foster cohesive collaboration among various stakeholders will be made aware of the problems surrounding climate change and climate litigation. The discussions and opinions expressed during the conference will be compiled and documented into a book and ongoing proceedings.
Who can Participate:
1. Climate Change & its Impact on Society
Our daily lives are intricately shaped by both historical and contemporary climatic circumstances as a society. We may be sensitive to extremes that are outside of our regular range since we are used to a typical range of situations. Numerous social, cultural, and natural resources might be impacted by climate change, which could have an influence on our civilization. Climate change has the potential to impact not just energy, food, and water resources, but also human health, infrastructure, and transportation networks. It’s conceivable that certain groups of individuals may encounter more difficulties than others. People who live in poverty, elderly populations, immigrant groups, and areas susceptible to droughts, sea level rise, and coastal storms may be particularly affected by climate change.
Mitigation and Adaption – Avoiding substantial human intrusion with the climate of the planet is the aim of mitigation. Stabilizing greenhouse gas levels over time will enable ecological systems to naturally adapt to climate change, assure that food production is not jeopardized, and facilitate economic growth to continue in a sustainable way.
Adaptation strategies aim to reduce our vulnerability to the negative impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels, severe weather events, and food insecurity. We will have to adapt as our climate shifts. It will be increasingly challenging the faster the environment changes.
2. Climate Litigation & Emerging Issues
On a global scale over 2000 lawsuits have been filed in connection with climate change. Although States have been the target of most of these lawsuits, private entities have also been named in actions pertaining to climate change. While a growing corpus of work is studying climate litigation from a comparative standpoint, the intricacies of cases involving corporate participants have not yet been subjected to the same thorough examination as lawsuits against States.
However, the nature of climate litigation in a given nation is likely to be shaped by the presence of climate change-specific legislation, especially framework legislation. In an effort to address the climate catastrophe, more and more individuals are heading to court. In an increasing number of nations worldwide, women’s organizations, local communities, indigenous peoples, and children and youth are leading the charge for climate change governance reform and pushing the cases forward. Thus, the following sub-themes can be considered for the conference:
Environmental activists frequently employ strategic litigation as an outreach technique, seeking or backing high-profile court cases meant to promote legislative and policy reforms and overhaul to increase policy ambition on climate change. In contrast to other types of litigation, most strategic lawsuits do not try to recover losses. However, demands for monetary damages are occasionally included in strategic climate litigation.
This trend is likely to continue as pressure mounts on businesses and governments to contribute equitably to the fight against climate change.
3. Green Finance & Environmental Clearance
The world at large is changing so quickly that it aspires to offer unique services and be as inclusive as possible. Yet, the inclusiveness requires a number of actions and eliminations, which may diminish the exclusivity. The subject of green finance and environmental governance model has been one of the most discussed in this inclusion movement. Green finance, which is becoming a top priority for public policy, is the term used to describe financial arrangements that are tailored to the needs and goals of ecologically sustainable initiatives or programmes that directly address climate change. Green finance is gaining momentum as Indian businesses investigate different forms of funding to assist in the development of capital-intensive technologies like carbon capture or hydrogen.
While there may not be a panacea when it comes to solving socio- enviro problems, green finance must be encouraged to support ethical and sustainable investing practices and to push businesses to give these problems top priority. Collaborations between the public and commercial sectors, lobbying for new policies, and government and academic institutions are all required to facilitate the successful implementation of cutting-edge green finance methods and accelerate the shift to a net zero economy by 2070.
4. Issues related to the Climate Change – Role of Lawyers, Judiciary, NGOs, Society, Academia & other stakeholders
Customary international law’s obligation on states to mitigate climate change is a relatively new concept that has not received much attention from international authorities. Determining the obligation at its origin and outlining the scope of accountability are the difficulties. The idea of state accountability is based on the idea that states’ sovereign equality forbids them from having total freedom of behaviour and protection from damage. tates have the sovereign right and flexibility to create internal policies as they see proper or not to establish any. The withdrawing Parties are nonetheless obligated to reduce climate change due to the determination of State responsibility under customary international law.
5. Environmental Jurisprudence: Shaping Sustainable Futures
The delicate equilibrium between economic prosperity and environmental preservation stands as a formidable challenge in modern governance. Striking this balance necessitates innovative approaches that mitigate ecological harm while fostering
economic growth. Concurrently, the judiciary’s role in environmental policy is increasingly pronounced, wielding the power to interpret and enforce laws that safeguard natural resources and ecosystems. Collaboration and collective action are
indispensable in crafting effective mitigation and adaptation strategies, ensuring a sustainable and resilient future for generations to come. The following sub-themes can be considered for the conference:
Day 1 – 01/06/2024
Session 1: Discussion on the present legal issues pertaining to climate change [Panel Discussion]
Session 2: Paper Presentation [Parallel Tracks]
Session 3:
Day 2 – 02/06/2024
Session 1 and 2: Paper Presentation [Parallel Tracks]
Session 3: Valedictory Session
Only original, unpublished work on the conference is requested. Submissions that include essentially the same work that has previously been published or is under reviewed for publication at another conference or journal will not be accepted.
| Sr No. | Particpation Category | Amount (INR) |
| 1 | Academicians and Professionals | 2000/- |
| 2 | Research Scholars | 1200/- |
| 3 | Students | 1000/- |
The details of sending payment is as under:
| Sr. No. | A/c Name | Bank Name | Bank A/c Number | Branch Name | IFSC Code |
| 1 | Institute of Law, Nirma University | The Kalupur Commercial Cooperative Bank Ltd. | 09720180147 | Nirma University, Nirma University Campus, Sarkhej Gandhinagar Highway | KCCB0NRM097 |
After transfer of the prescribed fees online, please send us the details of payment transfer on iccl@nirmauni.ac.in, in the following format:
| Participant Name | Account holder name from which the fees transferred | Bank Account Number | Bank Name | UTR Number & date of transfer |
| Particulars | Date |
| Last date to submit abstracts | May 15, 2024 |
| Last date of Registration | May 16, 2024 |
| Confirmation of Abstract | May 20, 2024 |
| Overview of Draft Submission 1000 words | May 26, 2024 |
| Last Date for Payment of Registration Fees | May 25, 2024 |
| Last Date to Submit Final Papers | July 30, 2024 |
| Date of Conference | June 1st and 2nd 2024 |
Prof. (Dr.) Madhuri Parikh
Conference Director, Institute of Law, Nirma University
Abhas Srivastava
Faculty Coordinator, M. 91-9140585416
Eva Gupta
Student Secretary, M. 91-8890869194
Email: iccl@nirmauni.ac.in
Institute of Law, Nirma University
Sarkhej Gandhinagar Highway, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Ph. 079-71652815
