Environmental Law Scholar Professor Amanda Kennedy Welcomed at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University as a Visiting Guest Speaker

The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University had the honor of hosting Professor Amanda Kennedy for a series of lectures and presentations. Professor Kennedy is a Professor of Law at Queensland University of Technology in Australia and Deputy Head of School at the School of Law. Professor Kennedy’s research interests fall predominantly within the area of agri-environmental law, and include natural resources and land use law, environmental justice and energy governance.

During her time at Haub Law, Professor Kennedy delivered a lecture on “Sustainable Development in International Environmental Law.” In this lecture, Professor Kennedy emphasized the vital role of law in achieving a just and sustainable future, advocating for equitable legal frameworks that promote sustainable resource use while safeguarding vulnerable communities.

Professor Kennedy also presented in Haub Law Professor Bridget Crawford’s tax law class where she spoke on taxation reform for the environment. This lecture highlighted the crucial intersection of tax law and environmental law, emphasizing how tax policy serves as a powerful tool to incentivize behavior change and address problems such as global emissions. She discussed Australia's carbon tax experience to illustrate the potential and challenges of using tax mechanisms to drive environmental progress.

A special faculty workshop also was held where Professor Kennedy presented on QUT’s experience with “Embedding Sustainability within the Legal Curriculum.” In addition to the various discussions and lectures, Professor Kennedy spent time engaging with the Haub Law community – faculty, staff, and students – and thought sharing.

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This latest visit is part of a joint endeavor between Pace | Haub Environmental Law and QUT Law’s Environmental and Social Governance Research Group. Previously, Achinthi Vithanage, Haub Law’s Associate Director of Environmental Law Programs & Professor of Law for Designated Service in Environmental Law, visited QUT Law to present a seminar, “The Evolution of the Role of the Lawyer in Promoting Environmental Sustainability: Our profession’s role in innovation, regulation, and responsibility.” The event was followed by a reception hosted by QUT Law’s ESG Research Group and Professor Vithanage also participated in a podcast interview with Professor Amanda Kennedy for QUT Law’s new subject on ‘Law, Governance and Sustainability’. Professors Vithanage and Kennedy also spent time visiting the offices of the Queensland Law Society (QLS) for a tour and a meeting with several members of the QLS to discuss the role of bar associations and law societies in advocating for climate action and sustainability.

Pace | Haub Environmental Law and QUT Law will be working on a joint online symposium for the coming year and additional news will be provided as it is available.