In September, the European Law Institute will hold its annual meeting in Vienna, Austria. The meeting brings together judges, attorneys, professors, and policy experts from throughout Europe to discuss issues facing the European Union. As the EU faces issues relating to sustainability, the 2025 ELI annual meeting will feature prominent speakers at the University of Vienna debatin the legal developments.
ELI is an independent legal think tank funded, in part, by the European Union to draft model rules and provide guidance on emerging topics, focusing on European legal development in a global context. ELI was founded in 2011 and is based at the University of Vienna. ELI Fellows gather in the fall for annual meetings that alternate between Vienna and other host countries in the EU. The 2024 annual meeting was hosted in Dublin, Ireland.
The topics of sustainability; climate change; environmental, social and governance; climate justice; and other associated issues are currently hot topics within Europe. The EU is currently debating rolling back key aspects of the European Green Deal, including sustainability reporting requirements for businesses found in the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. The proposed reforms to the CSRD and CSDDD were submitted by the Commission in February, but are still being debated in the Council and Parliament.
Looking at broader Europe, a recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights established a link between human rights and the protection from the effects of climate change. The ECtHR found the right under the European Convention on Human Rights and obligations in the Paris Agreement. The repercussions of that ruling will most likely be debated, especially as multiple members of the Court will either be speaking or in attendance at the ELI annual meeting.
At a global level, the International Court of Justice is debating their Advisory Opinion on the Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change. The Court heard oral statements in December as countries argued whether there is an existing legal obligation by developed countries with high greenhouse gas emissions to compensate developing countries for the adverse impacts of climate change.
Key topics of the 2025 ELI annual meeting include sustainability along the value chain, criminal liability for corporate directors, the emerging legal area of climate justice, human rights and climate change, and financing green initiatives. Speakers include prominent judges and world leaders on the topics. Below are five key panels relating to climate change and environmental issues to keep an eye on the 2025 ELI annual meeting.
Greening Supply Chains
September 22, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM CET
Topic: As the world faces increasing environmental challenges, businesses are under growing pressure to reduce their environmental footprint and adopt sustainable practices. This panel will explore key strategies driving the greening of supply chains, focusing on integrating sustainability into procurement, production, and distribution processes. Experts will discuss the roles of technology, collaboration, and policy in advancing greener supply chains, alongside the economic, social, and regulatory factors that shape this transition. Incorporating a fundamental rights perspective, the panel will address how sustainability can ensure respect for human rights, while also drawing on insights on the importance of biodiversity and ecosystem conservation.
Speakers: Arnfinn Bårdsen, Vice President, European Court of Human Rights; Dr. Adil Najam, President of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWE); and Pascal Pichonnaz, President of European Law Institute, Professor at Fribourg Faculty of Law.
Corporate Criminal Liability in the European Union
September 23, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM CET
Topic: The panel on Corporate Criminal Liability in the European Union will highlight the need for a more harmonised approach to corporate liability for crimes across the EU. It will also feature European Law Institute’s (ELI)ongoing work in this area, including the development of model rules on corporate criminal liability and sanctions imposed on corporations for crimes committed to their benefit by individuals.
Speakers: Donal Gerard O’Donnell, Chief Justice of Ireland; Fabio Nicolicchia, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Ferrara; Pietro Sirena, Treasurer of European Law Institute, Dean of Bocconi Law School.
Climate Justice – New Challenges for Law and Judges
September 23, 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM CET
Topic: Climate change problems are of cross-border nature, and the courts must address extra-territorial issues as well as questions related to both private international law and public international law. Furthermore, the courts must deal with a multilevel system of law, ie national, EU, and international law. In addition, the interface and overlap between specific international and EU climate change law, national and international public law, national and international private law, and criminal law, pose crucial methodological challenges for courts. They must find a balance between these different fields and levels of law.
Speakers: François Chaix, President of Swiss Federal Supreme Court; Kristin Casper, General Counsel, Greenpeace International; Henrik Anderson, Professor at Copenhagen Business School; Dr. Aneta Wiewiórowska-Domagalska, Council Member, European Law Institute.
Fundamental Rights and the Environment
September 23, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM CET
Topic: In an era of escalating climate challenges and environmental degradation, the protection of environmental fundamental rights is becoming increasingly crucial. As the impacts of climate change intensify, it has become clear that the right to a healthy environment is essential for safeguarding human dignity, health, and well-being. This keynote panel brings together leading experts to examine the evolving legal landscape where human rights and environmental protection converge. The discussion will focus on how international, national, and regional legal frameworks are adapting to address the urgent need for both environmental conservation and the protection of fundamental rights.
Speakers: Georg E Kodek, President of Austrian Supreme Court; Sirpa Rautio, Director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA); Pascal Pichonnaz, President of European Law Institute, Professor at Fribourg Faculty of Law; and Owen Bowcott, Former Legal Affairs Correspondent for The Guardian,
Green Finance and Investment
September 24, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM CET
Topic: Green finance is vital for the transition to a sustainable economy, but its effectiveness depends on robust legal frameworks. This panel will explore key legal challenges, including regulatory fragmentation, greenwashing risks, and investor protection. Experts will discuss how the law can support responsible investment, enhance transparency in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) commitments, and ensure that financial instruments genuinely contribute to environmental and social goals. The session will examine the role of legal mechanisms in fostering accountability, strengthening market confidence, and aligning financial systems with long-term sustainability objectives.
Speakers: Sir Geoffrey Voss, Second Vice-President of European Law Institute, Master of the Rolls and Head of Civil Justice in England and Wales; Michael Strauss, General Counsel European Back for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
Other notable speakers include: Síofra O’Leary, former President of the European Court of Human Rights; Dr. Jane Goodall, Zoologist, Primatologist and Anthropologist; Anna Sporrer, Austrian Federal Minister of Justice; Danguolė Bublienė, President of Supreme Court of Lithuania; Michael Umfahrer, President of Austrian Civil Law Notaries; Dr Armenak Utudjian, President of the Austrian Bar Association (ÖRAK); Adrian Ward, chairman of NHS Trusts and a Mental Health Association; Christiane Wendehorst, President of the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW); and Teresa Rodríguez de las Heras Ballell, ELI President-Elect and Professor of Commercial Law at the University Carlos III.
The 2025 European Law Institute annual meeting will bring the top legal minds in Europe together to address current developments in European Union law. Expect climate change, environmental concerns, and sustainability to be a continued theme, even in panels where sustainability isn’t a topic.
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