Climate Change Laws Around the Globe
Columbia Law School's Sabin Center Database Includes Laws and Policies for More than 140 Countries
New York, April 22, 2016—In honor of Earth Day 2016, Columbia Law School presents a database of climate laws and policies around the globe from the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law.
The collection has grown since it was first launched last year to include information for more than 140 countries. Researchers at the Sabin Center developed the database as a resource for the climate change law and policy community and have expanded the project due to demand from users of its website, one of the world’s leading reference sources for climate change law. The center regularly updates the database as new laws are enacted.
The first national climate change laws date back to 1991, when the Philippines created an Inter-Agency Committee on Climate Change, but the laws are enacted and revised continually. Most recently, in December 2014, Mexico amended its General Law on Climate Change.
While a few countries have single laws that attempt to comprehensively address greenhouse gas emissions reductions and climate change adaptation, the vast majority of countries have multiple laws that address climate change, or that could be used to address climate change. These include laws on forestry, land use, agriculture, energy, water resources, and air pollution control, among other topics.
Climate Change Laws of the World is just one of many tools developed by the Sabin Center to provide law students, lawyers, and policymakers with legal techniques and training to fight climate change.
NOTE: The center invites and welcomes collaboration in developing and updating this expansive and rapidly changing body of laws. Please email additions and updates to C[email protected].