Events & Collaborations

Events and Collaboration

BUSINESS, MINING AND SUSTAINABILITY – ENVIRONMENT SOCIAL GOVERNANCE (ESG) IN THE MINING SECTOR IN INDIA AND COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVES 

17 November 2023On 17 November 2023, SOAS University of London hosted a collaborative workshop with National Law University Delhi (NLUD), TATA Steel Mining Ltd and Exeter University to further their work on Business, Mining, and Sustainability in the context of an industry-academia partnership supported by the British Council. With a focus on best mining industry practices for Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG), the workshop discussed the progress of the joint project thus far, presented four different country case studies, and continued towards the eventual training manual for sustainability managers. The case studies, which included Canada, Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, provided a foundation to learn from and then utilize the best ESG practices moving forward. The interaction between mining and sustainability will only become increasingly important and prevalent as the transition to a green future continues, and the work from these collaborations will assist leaders in implementing the highest industry standards for ESG.Participants from India included Prof. (Dr) Harpreet Kaur (in picture), former registrar at NLUD and current Vice-Chancellor in National Law University Jodhpur and Shri Pankaj Satija, Managing Director, Tata Steel Mining Ltd.

Experts Consultation on Rights of Nature

25 & 26 September 2023Following an initial Rights of Nature Consultation in mid-May 2023, co-hosted and organized by the SOAS Law Environment and Development Centre, a second meeting has been recently completed in Nairobi at UNEP towards developing joint guidance on rights of nature. The Experts Consultation on Rights of Nature, held on 25 & 26 September 2023, were co-hosted by UNDP, UNEP and IUCN/WCEL. This consultation was initiated by the chair of the IUCN/WCEL Rights of Nature Task Force, Prof. Philippe Cullet, and attended by LEDC Member and PhD candidate Mr Nate Palmer. This meeting included top Rights of Nature thought leaders from around the world. Representatives from the UN Harmony with Nature Programme, The Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature, the Earth Law Center, End Ecocide Sweden, and many other leading organizations were present. These discussions and presentations provided an extraordinary insight into the conceptual foundations of the movement, as well as thought-provoking ideas on what comes next.
15 May 2023Monday May 15th marked the first of a series of consultations of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL) Rights of Nature Task Force. The Task Force seeks to concretise IUCN’s engagement on the topic of rights of nature through examining the consequences of granting legal personality to ecosystems, species or natural spaces. It also hosts discussions around some of the specific rights that this may entail, such as the right to exist, to thrive, to regenerate, and to play their role in the web of life.These consultations will feature rights of nature experts from academia, civil society, and lawyers from around the world working on these issues.
27 - 28 April 2023This workshop was an initial mapping of different perspectives and possible engagements with Degrowth from a legal perspective. The aim is for this to be a launchpad for further work in this area, including, building a network of researchers working on the intersections of degrowth and other alternatives to degrowth with law; and future larger conferences
  • Panel 1: Transitions to Degrowth
  • Panel 2: Human Rights and Degrowth
  • Panel 3: Environment, Cities and Technology