Investment Protection and Regulatory Reform for Climate Change in Asia

Register here: https://nus-sg.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrdOyuqzgqH9cYM_6Eztx0XQfOPlUjUq2o

This seminar addresses the implications of substantive investment treaty protections on states’ adoption of climate change mitigation measures. In particular, it considers the degree to which Asian investment treaties provide states with sufficient regulatory space to adopt bona fide climate change mitigation measures without risk of investor claims. Further, it addresses whether a revised Energy Charter Treaty may be necessary for the protection of low carbon investments and evaluates whether disagreements in the negotiations to reform the ECT reveal a split between Europe and Asia, especially Japan, on the appropriate role (and future) of investment treaties with respect to energy investments. Finally, this seminar takes note of the OECD’s important work on the Future of Investment Treaties, which is addressing many of these issues, and asks how to ensure that the experiences and conditions of Asian states are taken into account in developing global reform agendas.

Programme

Moderator

– N Jansen Calamita (Head, Investment Law & Policy; Centre for International Law; Research Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore)

• “Climate Change Reforms and State Risk Exposure in Asian Treaties”

Panellists

– Anatole Boute (Professor, The Chinese University of Hong Kong)

• “The Role of the ECT for the Protection of Low-carbon Investments”

– Yuka Fukunaga (Professor, Waseda University)

• “The ECT, its Future, and the Divide between Europe and Japan”

– Lauge Poulsen (Professor of International Relations & Law, University College London)

• “The OECD’s Work on Investment Treaties and Climate Policy”

– Muthucumaraswamy Sornarajah (Emeritus Professor, Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore)

• “Fiddling while Rome Burns: Investment Treaties in the Face of Climate Change”

– Ying Zhu (Assistant Professor, Hong Kong University)

• “Chinese Investment Treaties and Climate Change”

Future seminars in the Series:

Seminar 2: “Compensation and Valuation in Climate Claims under Investment Treaties” 17 January 2023 (tbc)

Seminar 3: “Facilitating Private Investment to Fund Climate Change Mitigation and Net Zero Policies” 21 February 2023 (tbc)

Seminar 4: “The Role of Non-State Actors in Supporting Net Zero Investments” 28 March 2023 (tbc)

Seminar 5: “Aligning Investment with Net Zero Goals through Domestic Corporate Laws” 18 April 2023 (tbc)

Seminar 6: “The Role of Trade Law in Aligning Investment Flows” 16 May 2023 (tbc)

Register here: https://nus-sg.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrdOyuqzgqH9cYM_6Eztx0XQfOPlUjUq2o

More information:  https://cil.nus.edu.sg/seminar-series-on-climate-change-and-investment/#:~:text=The%20CIL%20Seminar%20Series%20on,risk%20for%20states%20undertaking%20reforms