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
Excessive reliance on CDR could breach legal guardrails and jeopardise net zero, warn Oxford law experts
A new interdisciplinary study led by University of Oxford researchers examines the international legal framework governing states’ reliance on carbon dioxide removal (CDR) in meeting climate targets – and identifies a series of legal ‘guardrails’ designed to ensure that such reliance does not undermine efforts to limit global warming.
The narrowing legal operating space for climate action
Buttressed by scientific developments, law is catching up with corporate and state climate inaction and a new era of accountability may follow, write Dr Rupert Stuart-Smith and Dr Thom Wetzer in the BMJ.
"The misalignment of state and corporate action with their legal obligations means that in the aggregate, companies and states are breaching their legal duties. It is unpredictable as to who will be held responsible, but recent court decisions suggest that such liability may be just around the corner."
EU Set to Scale Back Sustainability Reporting Rules for Companies
The European Union has slackened its sustainability reporting requirements in a bid to make the bloc more competitive. Dr Thom Wetzer, Director of the Oxford Sustainable Law Programme, warned that the move will de-stabilise and fragment policies that had previously anchored EU firms’ expectations. “There will likely be a wave of litigation against firms at the national level, with litigants seeking to impose transition obligations via domestic legal routes,” he said.
Events
Oxford at London Climate Action Week 2026
For the first time ever, the University of Oxford is hosting a two-day event at LCAW showcasing new research, policy insights, and corporate action. We hope to see many of you there!
London Climate Action Week 2025
We are looking forward to London Climate Action Week and hope to see many of you there. Here's a sample of events where you can hear from Smith School researchers.
Navigating legal risks and opportunities of climate change
Join course co-directors, Professor Thom Wetzer and Dr Rupert Stuart-Smith, who will provide an introduction to the course and an overview of what to expect when joining us at the University of Oxford in September 2025