Climate Research Forum
Overview
The Climate Research Forum (CRF) offers a neutral space for experts to exchange knowledge and develop innovative approaches to climate litigation, while safeguarding the independence of both legal and scientific communities.
Established in 2023 to address the urgent need for interdisciplinary research, the CRF provides a structured platform for climate scientists and legal experts to collaborate in strengthening evidence-based climate governance. As a first-of-its-kind initiative, the CRF bridges the gap between scientific and legal communities across sectors and geographies, supporting efforts to tackle the climate crisis.
Hosted within the Oxford Sustainable Law Programme at the University of Oxford’s Smith School for Enterprise and the Environment—a world-leading centre at the intersection of law and sustainability—the CRF is uniquely positioned to fulfil this mission. Its members, including researchers and practitioners from around the world, drive cross-border collaboration and high-impact research. The Forum is also committed to amplifying voices from regions most affected by climate change, ensuring that global research efforts reflect the lived realities of frontline communities.
Through the activities outlined below, the CRF plays a key role in advancing interdisciplinary dialogue, promoting innovative solutions, and strengthening the connection between law and science—making this essential collaboration more effective in addressing the climate crisis.
Our Work
The CRF brings together climate lawyers, scientists, and researchers to bridge the gap between legal strategies and scientific evidence, with a particular focus on climate litigation. Through thematic Working Groups, the CRF facilitates collaboration to address shared legal and scientific challenges across regions.
Rather than funding individual legal cases or proceedings, the CRF concentrates on tackling common evidentiary challenges. Its work seeks to strengthen the broader impact of climate litigation, ensuring that legal actions are grounded in reliable, scientific data.
Bridging Science and Law for Climate Action
The CRF’s Working Groups facilitate cross-disciplinary collaboration by integrating the latest scientific insights into legal strategies. By strengthening the evidentiary foundation of climate litigation, we aim to enhance the impact of legal action in addressing the climate crisis. Our consolidated database includes approximately 200 individuals from diverse disciplines and regions, creating a vibrant network of scientists, lawyers, researchers, and civil society representatives.
Funding Research for Timely Legal Action
The CRF supports impactful initiatives by providing small, rapid grants to ensure that critical research and legal strategies are developed efficiently. These targeted research grants enable Working Groups to address pressing scientific and legal challenges, ensuring that legal cases are grounded in the best available evidence.
By accelerating high-quality research, the CRF strengthens the ability of practitioners to respond swiftly and effectively to the climate crisis, enabling legal interventions informed by robust, up-to-date scientific insights. This mechanism helps ensure that climate litigation is based on the most relevant and reliable data, improving the overall quality and impact of legal strategies.
Enhancing Collaboration While Safeguarding Independence
The CRF activities support the broader research activities of the Oxford Sustainable Law Programme — including our work on Net Zero Law and Governance, Sustainable Finance, Climate Science and Law, and the Climate Litigation Lab—by breaking silos and creating synergies between these areas of research. At the same time, the CRF safeguards the independence of researchers from non-academic influence, including litigation or activism, ensuring that scientific and legal insights remain rigorous, impartial, and impactful in shaping evidence-based climate action.
Working Group Activities
The CRF’s Working Groups serve as dynamic hubs for interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing together legal and scientific experts to tackle the most pressing challenges in climate litigation. Through structured leadership, targeted research, and a commitment to inclusive representation, these groups advance practical solutions to complex legal and evidentiary challenges.
Structure and Leadership of Working Groups
Each Working Group is led by two co-chairs. These co-chairs are responsible for refining the thematic scope of the group, setting the agenda, and facilitating meetings. They are appointed for a fixed term and are remunerated for their time and efforts in establishing and leading the group, with support from the CRF Secretariat.
Themes and Focus Areas
Working Groups are convened around strategic themes identified through a review of existing literature and consultation with the community of practice. These themes are of central importance to addressing urgent legal and scientific challenges in climate litigation. Initial priority topics include:
- Climate Finance
- Loss and Damage
- Systemic Mitigation
- Just Transition
Membership and Representation
The CRF actively welcomes leading researchers and practitioners from across the globe, prioritising those who are shaping the future of climate litigation and thinking beyond disciplinary boundaries. Eligible members will have a deep commitment to addressing the legal and evidentiary challenges within climate litigation. A particular focus is granted to potential members from jurisdictions that are underrepresented in existing climate litigation and research.
Researchers engaged with the CRF conduct practically grounded work, drawing on expertise in climate science, economics, legal theory, or other relevant disciplines. Practitioners should demonstrate an interest in overcoming challenges related to scientific evidence and the complexities of global legal frameworks.
Ultimately, the co-chairs of each Working Group are responsible for selecting and vetting additional members to the group. This process ensures that new members align with the group’s goals and contribute to the collaborative environment that the CRF encourages.
Interested in Joining the CRF?
We welcome researchers and practitioners working in climate-related science and law to express their interest in joining the CRF and/or one of its Working Groups. To get involved, please email us. Please feel free to include any suggestions for future Working Group themes or targeted research areas. Please note that final decisions regarding Working Group membership are made by the group’s co-chairs, coordinators, and Advisory Board members.