Research topics

International Environmental Law

The legitimacy of international environmental governance has received increased attention. There are no specialized courts in international environmental law.

Projects

Feedback Mechanism between Investment Treaty Arbitration and International Investment Treaties – focus on environmental protection

The proliferation of investment claims has triggered treaty design responses. PhD fellow Laura Létourneau Tremblay investigates this interplay between investment treaty arbitration (ITA) and international investment agreements (IIAs) with a specific focus on environmental protection.
A Computational Approach to Studying Development, Environment and Human Rights in the International Investment Regime

PhD research project by Runar Lie.
Responses to the 'legitimacy crisis' of international investment law (LEGINVEST)

The project's primary objective is to determine the relative importance of investment treaty arbitration (ITA) for the design of international investment agreements (IIAs) and the relative importance of (re)design of IIAs for ITA. Secondary objectives of the project are to:

1) Establish a general applicability database mapping the content of IIAs,

2) Propose ways to enhance synergies between international investment law and policies to protect the environment, promote human rights, and facilitate sustainable development in poor countries, and

3) Contribute to the general debate concerning the legitimacy of international courts with a comprehensive case study and a new analytical framework for assessing the relationship between the activities of courts and treaty design.

The project started in September 2018 and ends in August 2022.

The full project description can be accessed here.