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The Centre for Environmental Law and Policy (CELP) sits within the School of Law and Politics at Cardiff University. The aim of the group is to bring together staff and students that share a concern in environmental degradation and the social conditions of its making. In doing so, CELP provides a multidisciplinary, multi-stakeholder forum for sharing thoughts and actions to reveal and challenge the social, political and legal relations degrading our planet.
Our website, blog and publication page provide an overview of the Centre’s ethos, its members, its events and the Undergraduate and Postgraduate teaching available for students within the School of Law and Politics. Please also see our Student Division webpage for updates on their events and ongoing projects.
CELP – UPCOMING EVENTS
Student CELP Annual Winter Conference 2023
The Student Division of the Centre for Enviromental Law and Policy (Student CELP) warmly invites all students and staff in Law&Politics to our upcoming …
Student CELP Annual Winter Conference on the 14th of December, 4:00 pm – 5:30pm in SPACE room 0.24 LAWPL.
The Student CELP Winter Conference was first launched in Dec 2022 and returns this year by popular demand with a host of new presentations. The conference is a fantastic showcase of the latest ongoing research within Cardiff University’s environmental law and policy department by leaders in the field. The conference is also an excellent opportunity for staff and students to network within an engaging and lively atmosphere, and a fun way to round off the academic semester.
The conference entails several presentations from staff within the School of Law and Politics, sharing insights from their research on various environmental law and policy issues. Each presentation will be followed by a short Q&A with the audience.
Currently we have the following speakers confirmed, and hope to confirm more over the next few days;
Mr Guy Linley-Adams on his recent BBC panorama exposé ‘The Water Pollution Cover Up‘
Dr Richard Caddell on ‘Principles for the Protection of the Environment in Armed Conflict’
Prof Ben Pontin on ‘Environmental Legal Themes’
If you would like to attend the Conference please register here or with this link https://bit.ly/CELPconference
Attendance is hybrid and the conference can be watched online. If you are a student or staff member at Cardiff University or other insitution and would like a zoom link please contact Jade Jones (JonesJC8@cardiff.ac.uk).
CELP FEATURED EVENTS & DEVELOPMENTS
Student CELP Spring Symposium 23rd March 2023
Guest Speaker
Associate Professor Dr Victoria Jenkins (Swansea University)
Speakers
Embracing Clean Tech Developments – Kinga Plata, Olivia Wen Xi Ong, Angela Lim, Joseph Semmens and Melissa James
Sustainable coal mining? Revisiting the public’s perception of coal mining in Wales – Kian Yew Nah
Slow the Flow. Shifting Accountability Further Upstream – Megan Parker Williams and Sol Withers
Blogging for Change : Raising Awareness About Butterfly Conservation – Vishnusri Palanisamy Sumithralakshmiv
Issues with the European solar power panel supply chain – Nikolas Margaritis
The Spring Symposium was an opportunity for Student CELP members to present research on their recent blog publications. Guest speaker Dr Victoria Jenkins attending the event and discussed the implications of the EU Retention Bill on devolved environmental legislation. The event was attended by the wider CELP network and fellow Cardiff University staff and students.
Launch Event : Facilitating public involvement and environmental protection in Welsh planning decision-making 23rd February 2023
Event Organisers
Dr Caer Smyth (Cardiff University)
Jade Jones (Cardiff University)
A launch event for a policy briefing and toolkit that provides practical guidance on taking part in Welsh planning decision-making. The toolkit provides practical guidance on what ENGOs/community groups need to know about taking part in late-stage planning decision-making in Wales; the mistakes to avoid and unexpected advantages they can utilise. Whilst the briefing sets out practical steps that enhance public participation in late-stage planning decision-making in Wales and identifies ways that arguments for environmental protection can be best facilitated.
The policy briefing and toolkit builds on research conducted by Dr Caer Smyth at a planning inquiry into the M4 Corridor around Newport Scheme.
CELP Conference ‘Protecting the Environment Through Human Rights?’ 12th December 2022
Speakers
Natalie Kobylarz (European Court of Human Rights)
Dr Noreen O’Meara (Surrey University)
Dr Marie-Catherine Petersmann (Tillburg University)
This event explored the challenges and opportunities in using human rights law to protect the environment and combat climate change. As environmental crises grow more severe, we are seeing more attempts to utilise international human rights law to push for greater environmental protection and stronger responses to climate change. We might wonder why this is the case. Environmental harms cross boundaries and generations; complex causal relationships mean that it can be extremely challenging to attribute responsibility for a damaging effect that violates human rights to a particular state’s emissions. Is international human rights law a suitable tool to protect the environment? Why are we seeing this move to use human rights law in this way?
Comments
‘This fantastic event brought out some of the full complexity and importance of the relationship between environmental law and human rights. Even within the distinction between ‘anthropocentric’ and ‘ecocentric’ approaches we learned that there is nuance, such as ‘extractive’ and ‘enlightened’ anthropocentrism, with similar shades within ecocentric approaches. Overall a significant event rounded off with some intriguing questions from the audience.‘ – Prof Ben Pontin.
Student CELP Winter Conference 07th December 2022
Speakers
Prof. Ben Pontin (Cardiff University) – Environmental Law
Dr Richard Caddell (Cardiff University) – Fifty Years of the Polar Bear Agreement
Dr Ricardo Pereira (Cardiff University) – Environmental Conservation and Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon Rainforest
Dr Jennifer Allan (Cardiff University) – Insights from COP27
Miss Tegan Harrison (Cardiff University) – Thoughts on Space Security Policy
Dr PJ Blount (Cardiff University) – Air and Space Law
The Student CELP celebrated its first semester as a division with a Winter Conference in December 2022. Several environmental law and policy academics from Cardiff University were invited to discuss their area of interest, followed by a lively round of Q&A with Student CELP members. The event was a great opportunity for Student CELP members to network with the wider CELP network and explore the latest developments in environment law and policy with leading experts. It is hoped that the conference will become an annual event with Student CELP members from past and present, and academics from other Universities.