Prof Harro van Asselt

Position: Hatton Professor of Climate Law

Institution: Department of Land Economy and Hughes Hall

Contact: hva21@cam.ac.uk 

Research interests: International environment and sustainable development law, International law of energy, International trade law

Biography

Professor Harro van Asselt holds the Hatton Professorship in Climate Law at the University of Cambridge. At Cambridge he is also a Law Fellow at Hughes Hall. He is also a Professor of Climate Law and Policy at the University of Eastern Finland Law School, and an Affiliated Researcher with the Stockholm Environment Institute. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Review of European, Comparative & International Environmental Law (RECIEL), one of the top peer-reviewed environmental law journals. He has held visiting research and/or teaching positions at a number of leading international institutions, including Utrecht University, the University of Georgia, the University of Strathclyde, Bar-Ilan University, the Tokyo Institute of Technology, and the Finnish Institute for International Affairs. He is also a Senior Research Fellow with the Earth System Governance project and a Steering Committee member of its Task Force on Earth System Law, a member of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law, and a member of Climate Strategies, and he has been a member of the International Law Association Committee on Sustainable Development and the Green Economy in International Trade Law and a member of the E15 Expert Group on Measures to Address Climate Change and the Trade System, hosted by the World Economic Forum and the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development.

Professor van Asselt has published extensively in the field of climate change law and policy, covering developments in international, European, and national climate law and governance. His books include The Fragmentation of Global Climate Governance (Edward Elgar 2014), The Art and Craft of International Environmental Law (Oxford University Press forthcoming, with Daniel Bodansky), Governing Climate Change (Cambridge University Press 2018, co-edited with Andrew Jordan and others), The Politics of Fossil Fuel Subsidies and Their Reform (Cambridge University Press 2018, co-edited with Jakob Skovgaard), and the Research Handbook of Climate Finance and Investment Law (Edward Elgar forthcoming, with Michael Mehling). His work has appeared in leading law journals (American Journal of International Law, Law & Policy, Journal of Environmental Law, Transnational Environmental Law, New York University Journal of International Law & Politics) and leading interdisciplinary journals (Nature, Science, Nature Climate Change, Annual Review of Environment and Resources).

Professor van Asselt holds a PhD (with distinction) and a Master’s in Law from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Publications

Books:

- D. Bodansky and H. van Asselt, The Art and Craft of International Environmental Law (2nd edn, Oxford University Press 2024 fc.).

- H. van Asselt, The Fragmentation of Global Climate Governance: Consequences and Management of Regime Interactions (Edward Elgar 2014).

Edited books:

- A. Jordan, D. Huitema, H. van Asselt and J. Forster (eds.), Governing Climate Change: Polycentricity in Action? (Cambridge University Press 2018).

- J. Skovgaard and H van Asselt (eds.), The Politics of Fossil Fuel Subsidies and Their Reform (Cambridge University Press 2018).

Articles:

- B. Mayer and H. van Asselt, ‘The Rise of International Climate Litigation’ (2023) 32(2) Review of European, Comparative & International Environmental Law.

- R. Ismer, H. van Asselt, J. Haverkamp, M. Mehling, K. Neuhoff and A. Pirlot, ‘Supporting the Transition to Climate-Neutral Production: An Evaluation under the SCM Agreement’ (2023) 26(2) Journal of International Economic Law 216–232.

- P. Newell, H. van Asselt and F. Daley, ‘Building a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty: Key Elements’ (2022) 14 Earth System Governance 100159.

- H. van Asselt and E. Harrould-Kolieb, ‘Toward an Intergovernmental Transparency Arrangement for Fossil Fuel Production’ (2022) 16(3) Carbon & Climate Law Review 161–178.

- H. van Asselt and F. Green, ‘COP26 and the Dynamics of Anti-Fossil Fuel Norms’ (2023) 14(3) WIREs: Climate Change e816.

- H. van Asselt and P. Newell, ‘Pathways to an International Agreement to Leave Fossil Fuels in the Ground’ (2022) 22(4) Global Environmental Politics 28–47. (2021 Impact Factor: 4.145)

- I. Espa, J. Francois and H. van Asselt, ‘The EU Proposal for a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM): An Analysis under WTO and Climate Change Law’ (2022) 1 Oil, Gas & Energy Law 1–32.

- M. Mehling, H. van Asselt, S. Droege and K. Das, ‘The Form and Substance of International Cooperation on Border Carbon Adjustments’ (2022) 116 AJIL:Unbound 213–218.

- H. van Asselt, ‘Governing Fossil Fuel Production in the Age of Climate Disruption: Towards an International Law of ‘Leaving It in the Ground’’ (2021) 9 Earth System Governance 100118.

- H. van Asselt and J. Skovgaard, ‘Reforming Fossil Fuel Subsidies Requires a New Approach to Setting International Commitments’ (2021) 4(11) One Earth P1523–P1526.

- C. Fischer, L. Reins, D. Burtraw, D. Langlet, Å. Löfgren, M. Mehling, H. van Asselt, S. Weishaar, L. Zetterberg and K. Kulovesi, ‘The Legal and Economic Case for an Auction Reserve Price in the EU Emissions Trading System’ (2020) 26(1) Columbia Journal of Environmental Law 1–34.

- M. Mehling, H. van Asselt, K. Kulovesi and E. Morgera, ‘Teaching Climate Law: Trends, Methods, and Outlook’ (2020) 32(3) Journal of Environmental Law 417–440.

- K. Das, H. van Asselt, S. Droege and M. Mehling, ‘Making the International Trading System Work for Climate Change: Assessing the Options’ (2019) 49(6) Environmental Law Reporter 10553–10580.

- A. Gupta and H. van Asselt, ‘Transparency in Multilateral Climate Negotiations: Furthering Accountability?’ (2019) 13(1) Regulation & Governance 18–34. (2021 Impact Factor: 3.203)

- M.A. Mehling, H. van Asselt, K. Das, S. Droege and C. Verkuijl, ‘Designing Border Carbon Adjustments for Enhanced Climate Action’ (2019) 113(3) American Journal of International Law 433–481.

- C. Verkuijl, H. van Asselt, T. Moerenhout, L. Casier and P. Wooders, ‘Tackling Fossil Fuel Subsidies through International Trade Agreements: Taking Stock, Looking Forward’ (2019) 58(2) Virginia Journal of International Law 309–368.

- C. Verkuijl, and H. van Asselt, ‘Paris Rules?’ (2019) 49(1) Environmental Policy & Law 11–19.

- H. van Asselt and K Kulovesi, ‘Seizing the Opportunity: Fossil Fuel Subsidies under the UNFCCC’ (2017) 17(3) International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law & Economics 357–370.

SSRN page:

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=1127011