Women’s Energy and Climate Law Network [WECLN]
Background
WECLN was established by Jacqueline Peel (Professor, Melbourne Law School) and Hari Osofksy (Dean, Penn State Law and School of International Affairs) to create a virtual community of female energy/climate law scholars and practitioners to share research, provide mentoring support, and give voice to women’s perspectives on energy/climate law issues. The network is off to a very good start after a successful first in-person gathering in Melbourne on Friday 8 December 2017 that was characterised by a strong collaborative, supportive, positive and very constructive atmosphere. The launch was attended by women living and working in Australia, the United States, United Kingdom, Philippines, Caribbean and India, who work on various aspects of energy and climate law at the local, regional, national and international scales.
As well as profiling new research and practice by network members, the launch included a panel discussion with Hari Osofsky in conversation with Lavanya Rajamani (Professor, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi) and Lisa Benjamin (Assistant Professor, University of the Bahamas) on the Paris Agreement and the future of international climate law. A recording of this panel discussion is available below.
Participants also discussed the potential role of WECLN in helping network members to share information, build collaboration and unite on particular projects including law reform advocacy. At this stage, we will continue to communicate via the listserv, but will investigate options to build a more interactive website where network members can upload and comment on content. We will also look at funding options to support the broader development of the network and build its profile.
