Article 6 comes to the EU: International carbon credits, the EU ETS and the future of climate ambition
By Kateryna Holzer, Senior Researcher at the University of Eastern Finland The EU is designing its post-2030 climate framework. In March 2026, it amended the European Climate Law to introduce a legally binding target of reducing net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 90% by 2040 compared with 1990 levels. This target envisages two important flexibilities: […]
The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and the (De-) Regulation of Corporate Conduct
By Annalisa Savaresi, Professor of International Environmental Law at the University of Eastern Finland This blog post was first published on GNHRE (15 October 2026) as part of the GNHRE Blog Symposium, The Unmaking of the European Green Deal. Human rights and environmental due diligence legislation rests on a simple premise: businesses should identify, prevent, […]
Environmental Law’s Untapped Potential for Environmental Governance
By Ismo Pölönen, Professor of Environmental Law at the University of Eastern Finland This blog post was first published on the Blog of UEF Law School (16 September 2026). A healthy academic community is pluralistic. The purpose of this blog is to present a partly alternative framework in relation to the theoretically sophisticated research conducted […]
Gender-responsive climate adaptation finance: time to turn normative expectations into action
By Eveliina Laine, Doctoral Researcher at the University of Eastern Finland Under international climate law, developed country Parties have committed to providing financial support for developing country Parties to adapt to adverse climate effects, as agreed in Article 4(4) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992 and Article 9(1) of […]
Signs of Crystallization in Climate Law: Recent Judicial and Institutional Developments
By Reza Maddahi, Doctoral Researcher The End of Constructive Ambiguity For much of the past three decades, international climate law operated under a form of constructive ambiguity, with treaty language calibrated to maintain broad participation even at the cost of precision and enforceability. Between 2023 and 2025, however, this dynamic began to shift. A series […]
Environmental democracy under pressure: The EU and the Aarhus Convention ahead OF MOP-8
by Nicola Sharman, Doctoral Researcher As Europe confronts political divides and challenges over environmental policy, the Aarhus Convention’s promise of environmental democracy faces one of its most significant tests yet. Adopted in 1998, the Aarhus Convention guarantees the three procedural rights of access to information, public participation and access to justice in relation to environmental […]
Omnibus Simplification Package – The European Commission’s change of heart on corporate sustainability
by Saga Eriksson, Doctoral Researcher In February 2025 the European Commission introduced the Omnibus Simplification Package aimed at making changes to key sustainability reporting provisions outlined in the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and the Taxonomy Regulation. The main aim of the Package is to reduce the scope […]
The ICJ Advisory Opinion on Climate Change: A Business and Human Rights Perspective
by Annalisa Savaresi, Professor of International Environmental Law at University of Eastern Finland and Marisa McVey, Lecturer in Law at Queen’s University Belfast This blog post was first published on Opinio Juris (4 August 2025). State obligations in relation to climate change have come under increasing scrutiny by international courts in recent years. In July 2025, it […]
The EU’s Dilemma on International Carbon Credits
by Kateryna Holzer, Senior Researcher This blogpost is based on research under the project ‘Voluntary carbon offsetting in (climate) action: Perception coalitions, representations, and regulation (OFFCORR)’, funded by the Research Council of Finland (grant 355944). Opinions expressed are however those of the author only. With the adoption of additional decisions on registries and standards for […]
Designing Climate Clubs in Harmony with the Principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities
By Catherine Hall, PhD Researcher Despite some notable successes and progress, the UN climate regime has been unable to stem the flow of global greenhouse gas emissions at the speed and scale needed to avoid dangerous climate change. The latest Emissions Gap Report reveals a particularly sobering reality. If countries fail to deliver stronger ambition […]