The Oxford Sustainable Law Programme, based at the University of Oxford, is a joint initiative of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment and the Faculty of Law. We draw on wide-ranging expertise from across the University of Oxford and collaborate intensively with our international partners in the academic, public, private, and not-for-profit sectors.
Launched in 2021, the Programme is a world-leading centre operating at the intersection of law and sustainability. Our work is multidisciplinary, rigorous, and informed by practice. We are impact-oriented thinkers who see the law as a tool to catalyse the sustainability transition.
Our work
Our focus is on actionable research, impactful education, and multi-sectoral engagement that translates insight into practical application. Learn more about what we do.
Latest news
Can We Solve Climate Change by Suing Polluters?
"Climate litigation is not just growing — it’s snowballing," writes The Daily Upside. However, international courts have been slow to catch up. Dr Ben Franta of the Oxford Sustainable Law Programme comments: “It’s a well-known challenge [with] international courts: Because they don’t have independent police power, they must persuade member states to comply with their orders.”
Oxford contributes to landmark climate case
For the first time, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that weak government climate policies violate fundamental human rights. Research co-authored by the Sustainable Law Programme was cited in the final judgement in favour of the KlimaSeniorinnen.
Enforce net zero with global ‘ground rules,’ say Oxford academics
Academics at the University of Oxford have called for rigorous net zero ‘ground rules’ – encompassing laws, regulation and policy – to be implemented and enforced across the world, in an article published in Nature Climate Change today.