Call for Abstracts: 1st European Association of Climate Law Conference
Climate Law in Europe: Taking Stock, Looking Forward
1st EACL Conference | Berlin, Germany | 22-23 September 2025
Call for Abstracts
The European Association of Climate Law (EACL) invites submissions for its first Conference – a platform to discuss current developments, future challenges, and intergenerational justice in climate law. The conference features two separate calls for abstracts: one for the Early Career Researcher Workshop on the first day and one for the general session on the second day.
Early Career Researcher Workshop (22 September)
This workshop offers a platform for early career researchers to present and discuss their research in climate law. This session aims to explore intergenerational justice in climate law from various perspectives, including:
- Theoretical foundations of intergenerational justice in climate law
- Climate litigation and intergenerational equity
- The role of youth movements and activism in shaping climate law
- Interdisciplinary approaches to intergenerational climate justice
This workshop will also include an interactive discussion on the role of climate law in academic education. The Early Career Researcher Workshop will be followed by a keynote speech by Prof. Christina Voigt (University of Oslo).
Submissions are open to students, PhD candidates, postdocs, and junior faculty. Papers may be single- or co-authored, but the lead author must be an early career researcher. Early career researchers are invited to respond to this call, yet they may also choose to (additionally) respond to the call for the general session.
In terms of methods, we encourage a wide range of approaches, including (but not limited to) legal doctrine, comparative law, socio-legal studies, and interdisciplinary perspectives.
General Session (23 September)
For the general session on the second day of the EACL conference, we welcome abstracts related to one of the following four themes (see also next page) from all scholars and professionals in climate law:
- European Climate Law in an Evolving World
- Litigation and Legislation as Drivers of European Climate Law
- The Role of Law in Promoting Corporate Climate Action
- Climate Law as a Cross-Cutting Area of Law
Early Career Researcher Award
EACL will present an award for the best paper submitted by an early career researcher. Papers submitted to both the Early Career Researcher Workshop and the General Session will be considered for the award.
Submission Guidelines
All abstracts must have a maximum of 300 words and should clearly outline the research question, meth odology, and key findings or arguments. Submissions should align with the conference theme and topics of interest. The submission deadline is 31 May 2025. The selection of abstracts will be completed by 30 June 2025.
To submit your abstract, please use the following online form:
https://forms.office.com/e/0HwR0LzCAQ .
More information on the conference programme, venue and registration will soon be available on eacl.eu. For any inquiries, please contact eacl@ikem.de.
Topics of the General Session
European Climate Law in an Evolving World
The development of European climate law is taking place against a backdrop of rapid and unprecedented global developments, including the growing likelihood of exceeding committed temperature goals, the emergence of disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, increasing political polarization and challenges to the rule of law, and rising economic pressures and geopolitical tensions. These developments present both challenges and opportunities for European climate law. Against this background, we welcome abstracts examining what constitutes European climate law, what its core features are, and how it is affected by – and may in turn affect – global technological, economic, and socio-political dynamics.
Litigation and Legislation as Drivers of European Climate Law
From the global to the local level, climate litigation is helping to shape the legal response to climate change. At the same time, dedicated legislative frameworks for climate change continue to be adopted in Europe and beyond. Where have these two developments advanced European climate law, and where have they encountered challenges? Also, while both pillars of climate law are often analyzed in isolation, we welcome abstracts focused specifically on the inter-relationship between climate litigation and climate legislation.
The Role of Law in Promoting Corporate Climate Action
Changing corporate practices will be crucial to achieving climate targets. Legislators are increasingly ad dressing companies directly, e.g. through due diligence and reporting obligations, yet there has also been a recent trend to delay, simplify, or roll back such obligations. Under this theme, we welcome abstracts that examine existing legal approaches to strengthen corporate climate accountability, as well as prospects and limits of the law in promoting corporate climate action.
Climate Law as a Cross-Cutting Area of Law
There is hardly any area of the legal system that is not relevant to climate policy. Under this theme, we welcome abstracts that explore the impacts of climate change mitigation and adaptation on the broader legal system, as well as ways of achieving consistency between climate law and other areas of law to ensure effective climate policy.
About EACL
The European Association of Climate Law (EACL) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the study of climate change and law in Europe and beyond. By providing a platform for in-depth discussions, fostering collaboration among legal experts, and supporting the participation of young scholars, EACL seeks to strengthen legal responses to climate change from global to local levels. For more information, visit eacl.eu.