– With COAST Law Center, we are bringing together a leading research environment on legal frameworks for issues that arise in the face of the green transition. Our ambition is to have a clear profile that contributes to sustainable development in the region, while at the same time positioning ourselves internationally with our research, says center leader Ignacio Herrera Anchustegui.
The center will continue and further develop the work from the faculty's research group for climate, energy and environmental law, and the research group's members will be affiliated with the center. Students are also welcome to contribute to the center's activities.
– The local and the global are connected
– Activity along the coast and in Norwegian waters, such as the North Sea, will be an important focus area, but we will also work towards international waters and conduct comparative analyses with other countries. This includes aspects related to environmental law and nature conservation, industrial activities such as offshore energy, spatial and marine planning, as well as business models and private law regulations, says law professor Herrera Anchustegui, and adds:
– The COAST Law Center will also aim to balance local, regional, national, European, and global considerations, as these – like our oceans – are interconnected.
The goal is for the center to become an interdisciplinary meeting point for researchers and other partners both at the University of Bergen and throughout Northern Europe.
Relevant issues
Researchers and students affiliated with the center will work within a range of relevant issues, such as:
- Administrative law with a focus on environmental law and spatial planning, on land and at sea
- Energy law with an emphasis on sustainable resource management and infrastructures
- Private law, particularly in the form of contract law with an emphasis on sustainability and company law
- Energy markets and the business sector's ability to adapt in the green transition
- Marine and maritime law with an emphasis on fisheries, vessels, circularity, decommissioning, and recycling
– The demand for legal science contributions in interdisciplinary research projects, and knowledge collaboration with the business sector and public sector, has increased considerably in recent years, says Herrera Anchustegui – and points out that since 2019, the research group has had a coordinator or partner role in a wide range of projects (see selection in fact box).
He believes that the establishment of COAST Law Center will, to an even greater extent, contribute to meeting this need by strengthening the legal science knowledge front and independent legal research in these fields.
– The law must be at the forefront
Professor Herrera Anchustegui has long been concerned with the importance of having good governance frameworks in place in advance of major political and technological changes. He believes the law must be at the forefront of the green transition, rather than being connected when the innovations are already here and politicians are short on time.
In addition to providing input to the public, the law professor believes that the business sector's crucial role for sustainable development means that in the future, even greater emphasis must be placed on interaction with market structures and private law aspects.
– Rule production and the adoption of standards do not only occur within governmental and public sectors, but also to a large extent within the business and private sectors – often in collaboration with the authorities, he says.
Strengthened knowledge preparedness
Dean Karl Harald Søvig at the Faculty of Law believes it is important to have a center where research is conducted on the legal framework related to the ocean, climate, and energy transition. Few consider how important legislation and enforcement are in these fields.
He praises the research group behind the center for their high level of activity. The academic community has made important contributions to society, which has also expanded their national and international network. They have collaborated with various academic communities, both within and outside UiB, and with different sectors.
– At the COAST Law Center, we will see independent basic research and applied research, within both public and private law. The center's researchers and areas of expertise will be natural partners for interdisciplinary research projects, the business community, and the public. In addition, the center will be able to contribute significantly to both the faculty's and the university's focus areas, as well as collaboration in Bergen, the Ocean City, says Søvig.
Senior Advisor at the Faculty of Law, Ingrid Birce Müftüoglu, has worked closely with the center director and the academic community in developing the COAST Law Center. She says that with the new organization of the research group into a center, everything is in place for the activities to be strengthened.
– A professional and administrative management structure, clear frameworks for project development and operation, recruitment and follow-up of younger researchers, as well as strategic positioning nationally and internationally, will provide greater scope for further developing the legal perspectives on this important field, says Müftüoglu, and encourages relevant partners – and others who are interested in the work – to get in touch.
Affiliated persons
Ignacio Herrera Anchustegui
Professor
Faculty of Law
+47 55 58 39 20
ignacio.herrera-anchustegui@uib.no
Ingrid Birce Müftüoglu
Senior Advisor
Faculty of Law
+47 55 58 92 35
ingrid.muftuoglu@uib.no
Source: www.UIB.no
