Making Climate Law Work Tue, 02 Jun 2026 03:05:17 -0400 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2605284 en-gb © 2026 Making Climate Law Work yes 3b21e9a6-06da-5654-8531-f611930cb268 qLegal Team episodic false Exploring how legal tools shape climate action in practice, from the Energy and Climate Change Law Institute and qLegal at Queen Mary University of London.

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) qLegal Team https://storage.buzzsprout.com/4uqsnd7i6dayew9rydhf14ki54sy?.jpg Making Climate Law Work Climate change and corporations: the new way of doing business Climate change and corporations: the new way of doing business "Shareholders and consumers can influence corporations to move in clean energy and sustainable directions, and that is the key driver for the transition." 

Climate law is no longer just a regulatory concern; it's a boardroom reality. Hosts Nikola Duper and Alisa Ainonen are joined by Iyesogie Igiehon ESG Managing Associate at Linklaters London, and Jessica Hargreaves, Senior Associate in Energy & Infrastructure at Linklaters, to examine how the energy transition is reshaping corporate strategy and governance. From greenwashing risks to the demands of the CSRD and CSDDD, the episode asks a pointed question: are law and markets genuinely driving corporate climate action, or is compliance still outpacing commitment? 

Please note: This episode was recorded before recent escalations in the Middle East. Some context may have shifted since recording.  

Link to our guests' social media accounts:  

LinkedIn: Jessica Hargreaves, linkedin.com/in/jessica-hargreaves-2478b935     

LinkedIn: Iyesogie Igiehon, linkedin.com/in/iyesogie-igiehon  

 

]]> "Shareholders and consumers can influence corporations to move in clean energy and sustainable directions, and that is the key driver for the transition." 

Climate law is no longer just a regulatory concern; it's a boardroom reality. Hosts Nikola Duper and Alisa Ainonen are joined by Iyesogie Igiehon ESG Managing Associate at Linklaters London, and Jessica Hargreaves, Senior Associate in Energy & Infrastructure at Linklaters, to examine how the energy transition is reshaping corporate strategy and governance. From greenwashing risks to the demands of the CSRD and CSDDD, the episode asks a pointed question: are law and markets genuinely driving corporate climate action, or is compliance still outpacing commitment? 

Please note: This episode was recorded before recent escalations in the Middle East. Some context may have shifted since recording.  

Link to our guests' social media accounts:  

LinkedIn: Jessica Hargreaves, linkedin.com/in/jessica-hargreaves-2478b935     

LinkedIn: Iyesogie Igiehon, linkedin.com/in/iyesogie-igiehon  

 

]]> qLegal Team Buzzsprout-18994980 Tue, 02 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0100 1983 1 5 full false Loss and damage: who is paying the global climate bill? Loss and damage: who is paying the global climate bill? "Litigation is an exercise of narration. Lawyers working in the climate space should not shy away from the science, because understanding it is key to building your argumentation." 

For decades, Loss and Damage was a diplomatic taboo, too close to the language of legal liability for UN negotiators to touch. Now, as climate impacts become irreversible, the courtroom is catching up. Hosts Manuela Motta Zini and Julieta Herrera are joined by Jameela Joy Reyes, specialist at the Grantham Research Institute at LSE, to explore who is being held accountable for the climate bill and how. From the landmark Lliuya v. RWE case, where a Peruvian farmer took on a German energy giant, to the challenge of quantifying losses that have no price tag - cultural heritage, biodiversity, home. This episode asks whether regulatory compliance is still a viable defence against foreseeable harm, and what it really takes to win a climate case. 

Link to our guest's social media accounts:  

Instagram: @jameela.joy  

LinkedIn: Jameela Joy Reyes, linkedin.com/in/jameela-joy-reyes-joy-29400797/ 

  

Key references: 

Global Trends Report 2025, 

commentary on reparations, and 

commentary on Lliuya v RWE takeaways. 

]]> "Litigation is an exercise of narration. Lawyers working in the climate space should not shy away from the science, because understanding it is key to building your argumentation." 

For decades, Loss and Damage was a diplomatic taboo, too close to the language of legal liability for UN negotiators to touch. Now, as climate impacts become irreversible, the courtroom is catching up. Hosts Manuela Motta Zini and Julieta Herrera are joined by Jameela Joy Reyes, specialist at the Grantham Research Institute at LSE, to explore who is being held accountable for the climate bill and how. From the landmark Lliuya v. RWE case, where a Peruvian farmer took on a German energy giant, to the challenge of quantifying losses that have no price tag - cultural heritage, biodiversity, home. This episode asks whether regulatory compliance is still a viable defence against foreseeable harm, and what it really takes to win a climate case. 

Link to our guest's social media accounts:  

Instagram: @jameela.joy  

LinkedIn: Jameela Joy Reyes, linkedin.com/in/jameela-joy-reyes-joy-29400797/ 

  

Key references: 

Global Trends Report 2025, 

commentary on reparations, and 

commentary on Lliuya v RWE takeaways. 

]]> qLegal Team Buzzsprout-19012924 Tue, 19 May 2026 08:00:00 +0100 2689 full false Law and governments: the power of climate litigation Law and governments: the power of climate litigation "This debate about the proper role of courts in relation to climate action will continue - both inside and outside the courtrooms." 

Courts are increasingly being asked to do what governments won't. Hosts Alisa Ainonen and Nikola Duper sit down with King's Counsel Sudhanshu Swaroop of Twenty Essex to trace the growing power of climate litigation - from the landmark Urgenda ruling to the European Court of Human Rights' decision in Verein KlimaSeniorinnen. What do these cases mean for state accountability, the separation of powers, and the legal standing of those most affected by climate change? Sudhanshu maps what has shifted since Urgenda, and identifies three trends set to shape the courtroom battles ahead. 


Link to our guest's social media accounts: LinkedIn: Sudhanshu Swaroop KC, linkedin.com/in/sudhanshu-swaroop-kc-5796822/ 

Key references: 

- Sabin Center for Climate Change Law – The Climate Litigation Database 

- Urgenda Foundation v. State of the Netherlands, Supreme Court of the Netherlands, 20 December 2019 

- Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v. Switzerland, European Court of Human Rights, 9 April 2024 

]]> "This debate about the proper role of courts in relation to climate action will continue - both inside and outside the courtrooms." 

Courts are increasingly being asked to do what governments won't. Hosts Alisa Ainonen and Nikola Duper sit down with King's Counsel Sudhanshu Swaroop of Twenty Essex to trace the growing power of climate litigation - from the landmark Urgenda ruling to the European Court of Human Rights' decision in Verein KlimaSeniorinnen. What do these cases mean for state accountability, the separation of powers, and the legal standing of those most affected by climate change? Sudhanshu maps what has shifted since Urgenda, and identifies three trends set to shape the courtroom battles ahead. 


Link to our guest's social media accounts: LinkedIn: Sudhanshu Swaroop KC, linkedin.com/in/sudhanshu-swaroop-kc-5796822/ 

Key references: 

- Sabin Center for Climate Change Law – The Climate Litigation Database 

- Urgenda Foundation v. State of the Netherlands, Supreme Court of the Netherlands, 20 December 2019 

- Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v. Switzerland, European Court of Human Rights, 9 April 2024 

]]> qLegal Team Buzzsprout-18983576 Tue, 05 May 2026 08:00:00 +0100 1737 1 3 full false International law and state obligations: who enforces them? International law and state obligations: who enforces them? "The energy transition is a force that's unstoppable." 

States have made sweeping promises on climate. But what happens when they don't keep them? In this episode, student hosts Julieta Herrera and Manuela Motta Zini sit down with climate barrister Harj Narulla to interrogate the gap between ambition and accountability. From NDCs to net-zero targets, they unpack what states are actually committing to and whether any of it is legally enforceable, or simply a system built on reputation. 

Link to our guest's social media accounts: LinkedIn: Harj Narulla,  linkedin.com/in/harj-narulla-249651293/ 

]]> "The energy transition is a force that's unstoppable." 

States have made sweeping promises on climate. But what happens when they don't keep them? In this episode, student hosts Julieta Herrera and Manuela Motta Zini sit down with climate barrister Harj Narulla to interrogate the gap between ambition and accountability. From NDCs to net-zero targets, they unpack what states are actually committing to and whether any of it is legally enforceable, or simply a system built on reputation. 

Link to our guest's social media accounts: LinkedIn: Harj Narulla,  linkedin.com/in/harj-narulla-249651293/ 

]]> qLegal Team Buzzsprout-19025730 Tue, 21 Apr 2026 08:00:00 +0100 2259 full false Setting the scene: making climate law work Setting the scene: making climate law work What role can the law really play in averting a climate crisis? In this opening episode, James Dallas, Executive Director of the Energy and Climate Change Law Institute at Queen Mary University of London, sits down with Professor Silke Goldberg, Partner at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer and Honorary Professor at QMUL, for a wide-ranging conversation that sets the scene for the series ahead. From the legacy of the Urgenda case in the Netherlands to the slow machinery of international climate diplomacy, Silke reflects on where the law has made a difference, where it has fallen short, and what the episodes to come will reveal about the legal tools shaping our response to the climate crisis. 

Link to our guest's social media accounts: LinkedIn: Silke Goldberg, Partner at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, https://www.linkedin.com/in/silkegoldberg/ 

Key references: 

  • Angry Weather: Heat Waves, Floods, Storms, and the New Science of Climate Change by Freddie Otto 
]]> What role can the law really play in averting a climate crisis? In this opening episode, James Dallas, Executive Director of the Energy and Climate Change Law Institute at Queen Mary University of London, sits down with Professor Silke Goldberg, Partner at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer and Honorary Professor at QMUL, for a wide-ranging conversation that sets the scene for the series ahead. From the legacy of the Urgenda case in the Netherlands to the slow machinery of international climate diplomacy, Silke reflects on where the law has made a difference, where it has fallen short, and what the episodes to come will reveal about the legal tools shaping our response to the climate crisis. 

Link to our guest's social media accounts: LinkedIn: Silke Goldberg, Partner at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, https://www.linkedin.com/in/silkegoldberg/ 

Key references: 

  • Angry Weather: Heat Waves, Floods, Storms, and the New Science of Climate Change by Freddie Otto 
]]> qLegal Team Buzzsprout-19044866 Tue, 21 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0100 2118 full false Introducing Making Climate Law Work Introducing Making Climate Law Work Making Climate Law Work is a podcast from the Energy and Climate Law Institute and qLegal at Queen Mary University of London, exploring how legal tools shape climate action in practice. 

Each fortnight, we speak with the lawyers, academics, and experts working to turn climate ambition into real‑world action: from carbon markets and corporate accountability to environmental litigation and the deals shaping our net‑zero future.  

Season 1 release schedule 

  • Episode 1: 21 April 
  • Episode 2: 21 April 
  • Episode 3: 5 May 
  • Episode 4: 19 May 
  • Episode 5: 2 June 
  • Episode 6: 16 June  

New season launches Tuesday 21 April. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  

]]> Making Climate Law Work is a podcast from the Energy and Climate Law Institute and qLegal at Queen Mary University of London, exploring how legal tools shape climate action in practice. 

Each fortnight, we speak with the lawyers, academics, and experts working to turn climate ambition into real‑world action: from carbon markets and corporate accountability to environmental litigation and the deals shaping our net‑zero future.  

Season 1 release schedule 

  • Episode 1: 21 April 
  • Episode 2: 21 April 
  • Episode 3: 5 May 
  • Episode 4: 19 May 
  • Episode 5: 2 June 
  • Episode 6: 16 June  

New season launches Tuesday 21 April. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  

]]> qLegal Team Buzzsprout-19020921 Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:00:00 +0100 99 full false Sirens Sirens The composition ‘Sirens’ reflects on the powerful forces of nature in this Anthropocene era.  

Concluding with a key change and notes of optimism and stability, this brief melody is intended to evoke feelings of; beauty and danger; warning simple humans of the repercussions of their fantastical short term temptations, and to realistically redress and rebalance their longer term role on this living planet.   

Isis, a young teen at the time of composing this tune, attends an academy school in Southwest Scotland. Isis was born in East London. Aged 6, she moved to an otherwise uninhabited island with her family and four Shetland lambs, where she was home educated and necessarily gained a daily understanding of life and death through the seasons and the untameable seas. She moved to a village in the county of Dumfries and Galloway aged 8 to attend ‘real / mainland’ school. Her bio is relevant to this composition in the sense that, for her age, she has a thorough understanding of incredibly diverse environments - from one end of the country to the other - from inland man-made metropolises to wild and agricultural, coastal environments. 

]]> The composition ‘Sirens’ reflects on the powerful forces of nature in this Anthropocene era.  

Concluding with a key change and notes of optimism and stability, this brief melody is intended to evoke feelings of; beauty and danger; warning simple humans of the repercussions of their fantastical short term temptations, and to realistically redress and rebalance their longer term role on this living planet.   

Isis, a young teen at the time of composing this tune, attends an academy school in Southwest Scotland. Isis was born in East London. Aged 6, she moved to an otherwise uninhabited island with her family and four Shetland lambs, where she was home educated and necessarily gained a daily understanding of life and death through the seasons and the untameable seas. She moved to a village in the county of Dumfries and Galloway aged 8 to attend ‘real / mainland’ school. Her bio is relevant to this composition in the sense that, for her age, she has a thorough understanding of incredibly diverse environments - from one end of the country to the other - from inland man-made metropolises to wild and agricultural, coastal environments. 

]]> qLegal Team Buzzsprout-18951321 Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:00:00 +0100 34 full false