Environmental Law Research Group

Environmental Law Research Group at Lund University brings together scholars working across disciplines to address some of the most pressing legal challenges of our time, including climate change, biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, and the governance of natural resources.

The Environmental Law Research Group serves as the core platform for LUCEL (Lund University Centre for Environmental Law), an interdisciplinary network connecting researchers across Lund University working on environmental law and sustainability-related legal questions.

Environmental crises are not only ecological or technological challenges - they are also fundamentally legal, political, and institutional. They raise questions about how law structures the relationship between humans and the natural world, how responsibilities are distributed, and how justice can be achieved across societies, generations, and species.

The Group serves as a platform for collaboration, intellectual exchange, and research development among scholars working in environmental law and related fields. We work across legal disciplines, including public international law, human rights law, EU law, business law, and law and technology, reflecting the cross-cutting nature of contemporary environmental challenges.

Our Research Focus

Our research engages with a broad range of environmental and sustainability-related issues, including:

• climate change law and governance
• biodiversity and ecosystem protection
• water law and governance
• rights of nature
• environmental human rights
• environmental peacebuilding and conflict-related environmental harm
• corporate sustainability and environmental accountability
• environmental justice and participation
• AI, digitalisation, and environmental governance

Approach and Collaboration

The Group promotes interdisciplinary dialogue and collaborative research through:

• internal workshops to develop and discuss research ideas
• seminars and guest lectures with international scholars and practitioners
• collaborative research projects and publications
• engagement with policy developments and public debates

We also aim to maintain an active calendar of seminars, workshops, and events connected to the Group’s activities.

Societal Engagement and Impact

We contribute to ongoing societal and policy debates by providing legal analysis and critical perspectives on current environmental issues. Our work involves close collaboration with public authorities, civil society, and international organisations, and we actively participate in externally funded research projects.

Teaching and Student Involvement

We integrate our research into teaching at all levels of higher education, reflecting the Group’s interdisciplinary approach. Students are also invited to engage with the Group’s activities beyond the classroom, including seminars, workshops, and informal discussions.