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
Corporate greenwashing: The lawyers are coming
Greenwashing may be one of the greatest emerging legal risks across corporate sectors worldwide, writes Ben Franta in ECGI. "Once a topic of relatively niche concern, the spectre of greenwashing liability continues to grow as more brands seek to portray themselves as climate-friendly and lawyers (and the broader public) get wise to the fact that not all that appears green is what it seems."
Europe’s Gas Lobby Exploits Energy Security Fears in Year Since Ukraine War
According to DeSmog, Europe’s gas industry has ramped up its messaging since Russia invaded Ukraine. Ben Franta commented: "The gas industry wants us to believe that more gas makes us more secure, but more gas leads to more climate change which in reality makes us less secure."
Extreme glacial melting threatens coastal communities across the world, experts warn
Rupert Stuart-Smith told The Express that communities will increasingly use justice systems to address climate change impacts. People hit by climate change through little to no fault of their own are taking on major polluters – and winning, he said.