Climate in the Courtroom: NZ Climate Litigation Conference 2026

The New Zealand Climate Litigation Conference 2026 is open for registrations! Register at this link:

Lawyers for Climate Action, the New Zealand Centre for Environmental Law, and the Legal Research Foundation Incorporated are excited to announce that we are co-hosting the New Zealand Climate Litigation Conference in March 2026.

More than 3,000 climate litigation cases have been filed worldwide, as civil society, communities and other claimants turn to the courts to drive climate action and accountability. A new legal architecture of climate responsibility is emerging, raising novel risks and questions across almost every area of legal practice.

Join leaders in domestic and international climate litigation for a one-day hybrid conference on 27 March 2026 to discuss and debate the most interesting and important issues in climate litigation. The programme will feature senior judges, academics, leading practitioners, and scientists from New Zealand and around the world. Topics will range from developments in public law and private law, to the significance of recent international judgments on climate change and discussion on the appropriate role of the Court in adjudicating climate-related issues.

On the evening of 26 March 2026, the Legal Research Foundation and New Zealand Centre for Environmental Law will host a judicial panel, chaired by the Chief Justice, Rt Hon Dame Helen Winkelmann.

This conference will be of interest to lawyers, company directors, sustainability professionals, students, and others working on or interested in climate change issues. It will count towards CPD for attendees.