Climate Litigation Lab
Overview
Our Climate Litigation Lab, led by Dr. Benjamin Franta, applies rigorous, multidisciplinary research methods to practical challenges presented by climate change litigation. We interface with climate litigation practitioners and stakeholders from around the world to understand the strategic and evidentiary landscape informing legal action and conduct research across the natural, social, and legal sciences to help enable just and effective legal outcomes at scale. The Climate Litigation Lab is embedded within the Oxford Sustainable Law Programme and collaborates widely with researchers and practitioners across the University and beyond.
Our areas of research include:
- Damages: We measure and quantify harms caused by climate change around the world to inform legal action, public policy, and journalism.
- Investigations: We investigate legally relevant obstruction of and solutions for the sustainability transition to accelerate effective action on climate change.
- Legal strategy: We conduct legal research to promote accountability, effective remedies, and a healthier world for people and nature.
Special projects and initiatives
Project: Addressing Greenwashing Through Machine Learning and Law
Greenwashing — the practice of portraying activities, products, or companies as more environmentally friendly than they actually are — has become widespread. In the context of climate change, greenwashing is especially harmful, since it can confuse consumers and the broader public about the causes and solutions to climate change, resulting in misdirected attention and wasted time. In collaboration with the Oxford Department of Computer Science and outside partners, we are developing innovative, machine-learning-based tools to assist lawyers, journalists, and researchers in identifying greenwashing and taking action to counteract it.
Interested in Working With Us?
The Climate Litigation Lab is growing. Work, partnership, and collaboration inquiries can be sent to lab head Dr. Benjamin Franta at benjamin.franta@smithschool.ox.ac.uk.
Our team
Collaborations
- Blaire Bernstein
Independent researcher
Project: Using law to address international state fossil fuel financing. - Alexander Blackborough
Student at Griffith University
Project: Scoping historical and prospective financial impacts of mass torts on affected companies. - Cheryl Cheung
Researcher
Project: Exploring potential applications of Victim Compensation Funds in the context of U.S. climate litigation. - Patrick Hegarty Morrish
DPhil Student, Trinity College, Oxford (History)
Project: Mobile pastoralists and the international legal regime in a climate of change: case studies for strategic litigation. - Sindi Kuçi
Independent Researcher
Project: Litigation opportunities in the carbon offset industry. - Meghana (Meg) Patakota
Data Scientist
Project: Climate Litigation AI Resource Assistant (CLARA): Conversing with historic documents. - Katherine Quinn
Independent researcher
Project: Emerging principles of international environmental law: summary for litigators and policymakers. - Jemima Roe
Clifford Chance
Project: Novel remedies for climate litigation. - Jake Rutherford
Researcher
Project: Climate Litigation AI Resource Assistant (CLARA): Conversing with historic documents. - Dane White
Student, Boston University School of Law
Project: Material impacts of climate disinformation on consumers. - Gwenyth Wren
Student, Osgoode Hall Law School
Project: The margins of empire: identifying promising jurisdictions where strategic climate litigation should be pursued.
Contact us
If you have any questions, would like to learn more, or want to get involved: please contact Benjamin Franta. For general questions about the programme please email Oxford Sustainable Law Programme information.
Research at the Climate Litigation Lab is generously supported by the KR Foundation, Rockefeller Family Fund, Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund, Glaser Progress Foundation, and others.