Please join the Law School’s Centre for International Law and Centre for Environmental Law and Sustainability for a talk by Dr Giulia Leonelli (LSE, Law) on her new book 'Environmental Leverage in Times of Climate Crisis: Product Standards, Carbon Border Measures and Preferential Trade Agreements' (Hart Publishing 2026).
Abstract
The last years have witnessed the rise of a new generation of trade-related measures, designed to leverage ‘lower-environmental-ambition’ countries and market actors involved in global value chains. Trade-related environmental leverage can help to remedy the failures of environmental multilateralism, reshape the trade agenda to cater to the demands of our time, and entrench more sustainable production and consumption patterns. Nonetheless, its boundaries must be appropriately circumscribed. Environmental Leverage in Times of Climate Crisis assesses different forms of leverage against the normative yardsticks of 'environmental integrity' and 'environmental legitimacy'. Environmental integrity targets 'green protectionism' and 'green discrimination', drawing a line between the promotion of environmental values and the protection of economic interests. Environmental legitimacy captures 'eco-imperialism', addressing the question of the treatment of differently situated countries and developing and least developed countries in particular. The book employs an in-depth analysis of three case studies to operationalise this conceptual framework.
Bio
Dr Giulia Claudia Leonelli is Associate Professor in the LSE Law School, London School of Economics and Political Science. She researches and teaches in the fields of climate change law, environmental law, trade law, and risk regulation. In January 2025, she has been appointed by His Majesty Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) Joint Working Group. The Group collaborates with HMRC on the development of the UK CBAM policy.
If you would like to attend this event, please visit Eventbrite. You will receive the hybrid joining link via your registration confirmation. Please note the event is online only for members of the public.