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Scholars

Joana Setzer

London School of Economics and Political Science

Based in

United Kingdom
Europe

Joana Setzer is an Assistant Professor at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Her main areas of expertise are climate litigation and global environmental governance.

Joana leads the Grantham Research Institute’s Climate Change Laws of the World project – the most comprehensive global resource on climate policy and legislation.

Joana served as a Contributing Author for Working Group 3 of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Review (IPCC AR6). She regularly advises a range of international, governments and non-governmental organisations. She is a frequent speaker at academic and non-academic events, and a regular source for media outlets. Joana is also co-Chair of the Climate Accountability working group of the Climate Social Science Network.

Country(ies) of Specialty

Belize

Focus areas of expertise

Greenwashing Climate policy and politics Climate law and litigation

How to Connect

Publications

Articles

Aristova, E., Higham, C., Higham, I., Setzer, J. (forthcoming). ‘Conceptualising Corporate Climate Change Responsibilities under the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises’. International & Comparative Law Quarterly.

Eskander, S., Fankhauser, S., Hamley, M., Higham, C.M., Setzer, J. (forthcoming). Testing the ambition loop: Do country-level climate policies influence company-level climate strategies? A global comparison. Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis.

Tigre, M.A. & Setzer, J. (2024). Human Rights and Climate Change for Climate Litigation in Brazil and Beyond: An Analysis of the Climate Fund Decision. The Georgetown Journal of International Law, 54(4): 1-53.

Fermeglia, M., Higham, C., Silverman-Roati, K. and Setzer, J. (2024). Mapping Climate-related Investor State Dispute Resolution Cases. Transnational
Dispute Management.

Merner, D., Benjamin, B, Ercole, W, Keuschnigg, I., Kunik, J., Martínez Toral, K., Peterson, L., Setzer, J., Sokol, K., Tandon, A. & Turowski, K (2023) Comparative analysis of legal mechanisms to net-zero: lessons from Germany, the United States, Brazil, and China, Carbon Management, 15(1):1-15.

Kotzé, L.J., Mayer, B., van Asselt, H., Setzer, J., Biermann, F., Celis, N. et al. (2023).
Courts, climate litigation and the evolution of earth system law. Global Policy, 14(4):1-18.

Setzer, J., Rossi, L. T., & Gueorguiev, M. C. M. (2023). Plan B Earth and others vs Secretary of State for Transport. Revista Quaestio Iuris, 16(2), 1173–1199.

Ghaleigh, N.S.; Setzer, J. & Welikala, A. (2022). The Complexities of Comparative Climate Constitutionalism. Journal of Environmental Law (published online ahead of print).

Savaresi, A. & Setzer, J. (2022). Rights-based litigation in the climate emergency: mapping the landscape and new knowledge frontiers. Journal of Human Rights and the Environment, volume 13 (1), 7–34.

Setzer, J. and Winter de Carvalho, D. (2021). Climate litigation to protect
the Brazilian Amazon: Establishing a constitutional right to a stable climate. RECIEL, 30(2): 197- 206.

Eskander, S.; Fankhauser, S. & Setzer, J. (2021). Global Lessons from Climate Change Legislation and Litigation, National Bureau of Economic Research – NBER Chapters. Environmental and Energy Policy and the Economy, volume 2, 44-82.

 

Yoshida, K. & Joana Setzer. 2020. “The Trends and Challenges of Climate Change Litigation and Human Rights,” European Human Rights Law Review (July 2020).

Shaikh Eskander, Sam Fankhauser, & Joana Setzer. 2020. “Global Lessons from Climate Change Legislation and Litigation,” Environmental and Energy Policy and the Economy, National Bureau of Economic Research (June 2020).

Joana Setzer, Elisa Sainz de Murieta, Ibon Galarraga, Fernando Rei, &  Mariângela Mendes Lomba Pinho. 2020. “Transnationalization of climate adaptation by regional governments and the RegionsAdapt initiative,” Global Sustainability (April 2020).

Joana Setzer & Lisa Benjamin. 2020. “Climate Litigation in the Global South: Constraints and Innovations,” Transnational Environmental Law (March 2020).

Joana Setzer & Lisa C. Vanhala. 2019. “Climate change litigation: A review of research on courts and litigants in climate governance,” WIREs Climate Change (March 2019).

Joana Setzer & Karen Anderton. 2019. “Subnational leaders and diplomacy.” In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of International Studies, Oxford University Press (May 2019). 

Joana Setzer, Kamyla Cunha, & Amália Botter-Fabri. 2019. “Climate Litigation: New frontiers for environmental law in Brazil,” Sao Paulo: Editora Revista dos Tribunais (Portuguese) (March 2019).

Geetanjali Ganguly, Joana Setzer, & Veerle Heyvaert. 2018. “If at first you don’t succeed: Suing corporations for climate change,” Oxford Journal of Legal Studies (October 2018).

Joana Setzer & Mook Bangalore. 2017. “Climate change in the courts: An overview of litigation drivers and outcomes in 27 jurisdictions.” In Climate Change Legislation: Content and Application, Edward Elgar (January 2017).

Joana Setzer. 2015. “Testing the boundaries of subnational diplomacy: The international climate action of local and regional governments,” Transnational Environmental Law (October 2015).

Book Chapters

Fermeglia, M. and Setzer, J. Investment Disputes: Supporting and Undermining Climate Action (forthcoming). In Human Rights and Investment Law for Climate Change: Trends and Prospects. Edited by Alessandro Monti, Beatriz Martinez Romera and Linnéa Nordlander. Edward Elgar.

Setzer, J., Silbert, N. and Vanhala, L. (forthcoming). The Effectiveness of Climate Change Litigation. In Edward Elgar Research Handbook on Climate Change Litigation, edited by Francesco Sindico, Kate McKenzie, Gastón Medici-Colombo, Lennart Wegener. Edward Elgar.

Setzer, J. (2022). The Impacts of High-Profile Litigation against Major Fossil Fuel
Companies. In C. Rodríguez-Garavito (Ed.), Litigating the Climate Emergency: How Human Rights, Courts, and Legal Mobilization Can Bolster Climate Action (Globalization and Human Rights, pp. 206-220). Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.

Setzer, J. and Gueorguiev, M.C. (2022). Plan B Earth and Others V. Secretary of State for Transport. In Casos Paradigmáticos em Litigância Climática: aspectos jurídicos relevantes e lições para o Brasil, edited by Pedro Henrique Vasques and Caio Borges. Rio de Janeiro: ICs.

Setzer, J., Leal, Guilherme and Borges, C. (2021). Climate Litigation in Brazil. Climate Change Litigation: Global Perspectives. Ivano Alogna, Christiane Bakker and Jean-Pierre Gauti (Editors). Brill and the British Institute of International and Comparative Law.

Setzer, J., Cunha, K. and Botter-Fabri, A. (2019). Introduction. Climate Litigation: New frontiers for environmental law in Brazil. Sao Paulo: Editora Revista dos Tribunais (Portuguese).

Setzer, J., Cunha, K. and Botter-Fabri, A. (2019). Trends in climate litigation around the world and in Brazil. Climate Litigation: New frontiers for environmental law in Brazil. Sao Paulo: Editora Revista dos Tribunais (Portuguese).

Setzer, J., Cunha, K. and Botter-Fabri, A. (2019). Conclusion. Climate Litigation: New frontiers for environmental law in Brazil. Sao Paulo: Editora Revista dos Tribunais
(Portuguese).

Setzer, J., & Anderton, K. (2019). Subnational leaders and diplomacy. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of International Studies. Oxford University Press.

Valente, L; Setzer J. and Rei, F. (2018). Implementation of Sao Paulo’s Municipal Climate Change Law: Urban Transport and Mobility, in Climate Change and Cities: Second Assessment Report of the Urban Climate Change Research Network, edited by Cynthia Rosenzweig, William D. Solecki, Patricia Romero-Lankao, Shagun
Mehrotra, Shobhakar Dhakal, and Somayya Ali Ibrahim. Cambridge University
Press.

Setzer, J. and Nachmany, M. (2018). Governance at the National Level: the role of national policy and legislation, in Governing Climate Change: Polycentricity in Action, edited by Andy Jordan, Dave Huitema, Haro van Asselt, and Johanna Forster. Cambridge University Press, pp. 47-62.

Setzer, J. and Bangalore, M. (2017). Climate change in the courts: An overview of litigation drivers and outcomes in 27 jurisdictions, in Climate Change Legislation: Content and Application, edited by Alina Averchenkova, Sam Fankhauser, and Michal Nachmany. Edward Elgar, pp. 175-192.

Setzer, J. and Valente, L. (2015). Combining local and transnational climate action: the case of the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo. The Urban Climate Challenge: Rethinking the Role of Cities in the Global Climate Regime. Craig Johnson, Noah Toly and Heike Schroeder (Eds). Taylor & Francis, pp. 101-118.

Rei, F., Cunha, K. and Setzer, J. (2014). Environmental paradiplomacy in the new global governance. Cities and climate change: building an environmental paradiplomatic agenda. Nahuel Oddone and Horacio Rodríguez Vázquez (Org.).
Grenada: Union Iberoamericana de Municipalistas, pp. 87-94 (in Spanish).

Setzer J. and Valente L. (2014). The role of paradiplomacy in São Paulo’s city climate change agenda. Cities and climate change: building an environmental paradiplomatic agenda. Nahuel Oddone and Horacio Rodríguez Vázquez (Org.). Grenada: Union Iberoamericana de Municipalistas,
pp. 413-432 (in Portuguese).

Setzer, J. (2013). Multilevel climate governance: subnational policies and transnational action in São Paulo. In Law and Development: a sustainable approach. Fernando Rei e Salem Nasser (Org.), p. 147-186. São Paulo: Saraiva (in Portuguese).

Setzer J. and Gouveia, N. (2011). Precautionary Principle, a principle of action. Essential doctrines of Environmental Law, vol. 1. Édis Milaré e Paulo A.L. Machado (Coord). São Paulo: Revista dos Tribunais (in Portuguese).

Setzer J. and Milare, E. (2011). Applying the Precautionary Principle in areas of scientific uncertainty. Essential doctrines of Environmental Law, vol. 1. Édis Milaré e Paulo A.L. Machado (Coord). São Paulo: Revista dos Tribunais (in Portuguese).

Setzer J. and Gouveia, N. (2010). Precautionary Principle: from principle to practice. Towards a socio-environmental critical thinking. Wagner Costa Ribeiro (Org.). São Paulo, Annablume (in Portuguese).

Setzer, J. (2006). Precautionary Principle in International Environmental Law. International Environmental Law, essays in memory of Professor Guido da Silva Soares. Fernando Rei and Salem Nasser (Org.). São Paulo,
Atlas, p. 51-65 (in Portuguese).

Edited Books

Fenna, A., Jodoin, S., & Setzer, J. (Eds.). (2023). Climate Governance and Federalism: A Forum of Federations Comparative Policy Analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Setzer, J., Cunha, K. and Botter-Fabri, A. (Eds) (2019). Climate Litigation: New frontiers for environmental law in Brazil. Sao Paulo: Editora Revista dos Tribunais (Portuguese).

Research and Policy Reports

Chan T., Ford L., Higham C., Setzer J. and Pouget S. (2023) Corruption and integrity risks in climate solutions: an emerging global challenge. Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.

Setzer J. and Higham C. (2023). Global Trends in Climate Litigation: 2023 Snapshot Report. Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.

Higham C., Setzer, J., Narulla, H. and Bradeen, E. (2023). Climate Change Law in Europe: What do new EU laws mean for the courts?. London: GRI/LSE.

Setzer, J., N Higham, C., Narulla, H. and Bradeen, E. (2022). Climate Litigation in Europe. A summary report for the European Union Forum of Judges for the Environment.

Barrett, P., Wilmot, M., Buckle, B., Gillespie, E., Chowdhury, N., Sensenbrenner, E., Ramsay. S., Setzer, J., Brook. N. (2022). Climate Financial Risk Forum (CFRF). Scenario
Analysis Working Group: Litigation Risk. Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority.

Higham, C., Setzer, J., Narulla, H. and Bradeen, E. (2022).Challenging government responses to climate change through framework litigation. Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.

Setzer, J. and Higham, C. (2022). Global trends in climate change litigation: 2022 snapshot. Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.

Benjamin, L.; Bhargava, A.; Franta, B.; Martínez Toral, K.; Setzer, J. and Tandon, A. (2022). Climate-washing litigation: legal liability for misleading climate communications. Research Report produced with the Climate Social Science Network (CSSN) and Lewis & Clark Law School.

Setzer, J.; Higham, C.; Jackson, A.; Solana, J. (2021). Legal Working Paper Series: Climate change litigation and central banks – Paper Series No 21. European Central Bank (ECB).

Higham C., Averchenkova A., Setzer, J. and Koehl A. (2021). Accountability Mechanisms in Climate Change Framework Laws. London: Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy.

Setzer, J. and Higham, C. (2021). Global trends in climate change litigation: 2021 snapshot. Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.

C40 (2021). Legal Interventions: How cities can drive climate action. Expert Contributor to the Report.

Golnaraghi, M., Setzer, J., Brook, N., Williams, L. and Lawrence, W. (2021). The Evolving Landscape of Climate Change Litigation – What does it mean for insurers?. Geneva Association.

Bouwer, K. and Setzer, J. (2020). New trends in Climate Litigation: What works? British Academy COP26 Briefings Series.

Setzer, J. and Byrnes, R. (2020). Global trends in climate change litigation: 2020 snapshot. Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.

Eis, J.; Walker, O., Schafer, J., Patel, S., Tam, A., Surminski, S. and Setzer, J. (2020). Below 2°C Insurance for a low carbon economy. Lloyds and Vivid Economics.

Sainz de Murieta, E. and Setzer, J. (2019). Climate change adaptation in a multi-level governance context: a perspective from subnational governments. Regions4.

Setzer, J. and Byrnes, R. (2019). Global trends in climate change litigation: 2019 snapshot. Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.

Averchenkova, A., Bassi, S. and Setzer, J. (2018). Credible implementation of the Paris Agreement – Input to the Talanoa Dialogue. Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.

Nachmany, M. and Setzer, J. (2018). Global trends in climate change legislation and litigation – 2018 update. Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.

Nachmany, M., Fankhauser, S., Setzer, J. and Averchenkova, A. (2017). Global trends in climate change legislation and litigation: 2017 snapshot. Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.