Climate crisis
The Climate Registry provides a platform for bar associations, law societies and similar bodies around the world to share the steps they are taking to address climate change and facilitate the transition to net zero.
Bar association climate roundtable post-event report
In February 2025, the Bar Issues Commission brought together over 70 bar association & law society leaders to share challenges, opportunities and good practices from implementing climate initiatives.
Climate Statement: five years on
Much has happened in the five years since the IBA published its Climate Statement in 2020, affecting every facet of the legal profession. Read about key developments and future directions.
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
The IBA is a registered observer to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. We use this important platform to help elevate the role of the legal profession in addressing the climate crisis.
Welcome to the IBA Climate Crisis: in focus page, where you will find details of events, reports, articles, podcasts and films related to this crucial issue from across the work of the Association.
Digital Content
News Analysis
Committee Content
Podcasts
Climate finance
| 14 March 2025
The climate crisis, human rights and the Klimaseniorinnen case
| 27 November 2024
Tariffs, trade and climate crisis
| 25 October 2024
Interview with Ian Fry
| 20 December 2023
Films
All filmsLegal solutions for a net zero future
The Climate Registry: a peer-to-peer platform facilitating local bar associations to showcase their proactive responses to the climate crisis.
IBA @ COP28: Everything everywhere all at once: Opening Speaker
Here we discuss legal capacity building, regulatory steps and the importance of climate-conscious lawyering.
IBA @ COP28: Everything everywhere all at once: Session one
Watch our discussion on the role of lawyers in tackling the climate crisis and the importance of climate conscious lawyers
Reports
All reportsRoundtable on bar association and law society climate initiatives: implementation and inspiration
On 13 February 2025, the International Bar Association Bar Issues Commission, with support from the Brazilian Bar Association, American Bar Association, Law Society of England and Wales, United Kingdom Environmental Law Association and IBA Legal Policy & Research Unit, convened an online roundtable on bar association and law society climate initiatives: implementation and inspiration.
The roundtable brought together over 70 representatives from almost 50 bar associations and law societies around the globe, to engage in rich discussions regarding challenges, opportunities, and good practices from their experiences of formulating and implementing climate initiatives in their jurisdictions, and to share visions for their work in 2025 and beyond.
The roundtable discussions, which took place almost one year after launch of the IBA Climate Registry in March 2024, revealed that organisations are employing a wide range of strategies to integrate climate considerations into legal education, legal practice, and legislation and policy development. Consistent with the IBA Climate Crisis Statement, numerous organisations have established dedicated committees or working groups focused on climate change, sustainability, or ESG (environmental, social and governance) issues, and many have established initiatives to better equip lawyers to navigate the complexities of climate change in legal advice.
Legal Aspects of Climate Change Adaptation
While progress on climate change depends on stability in other domains in order to implement the Paris Agreement of 2015, climate change itself is a destabilising force. The Climate Change Adaptation Report looks closely at three areas key to heading off the likelihood of accelerating instability in the near future: population displacement, food security and access to technology. This report places these issues within the larger context of the Paris Agreement and the recent advances in research and policy on the human rights implications of climate change.