Lavanya Rajamani (born 1973) is an Indian lawyer, author and professor whose area of expertise is international
climate change
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
law, environmental law, and policy. She is currently a professor of International Environmental Law at the
Faculty of Law, University of Oxford
The University of Oxford Faculty of Law is the law school of the University of Oxford. It has a history of over 800 years in the teaching and learning of law. Oxford's law school is currently ranked fourth in the world in the 2023Times Higher ...
, a Yamani Fellow in Public International Law at
St Peter's College, Oxford
St Peter's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford and is located in New Inn Hall Street, Oxford, United Kingdom. It occupies the site of two of the university's medieval halls, dating back to at least the 14th c ...
, and a visiting professor at the
Centre for Policy Research
The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) is an Indian think tank focusing on public policy. Established in 1973 and located in New Delhi, it is one of the national social science research institutes recognized by the Indian Council of Social Scie ...
.
She was the first
Rhodes Scholar
The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom.
Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...
of
National Law School of India University
The National Law School of India University (NLSIU or simply NLS) is a public law school and a National Law University located in Bangalore, Karnataka. It was the first National Law University to be established in India as well as one of the f ...
and is the youngest Indian academic to be invited to offer a course in public international law at the
Hague Academy of International Law
The Hague Academy of International Law (french: Académie de droit international de La Haye) is a center for high-level education in both public and private international law housed in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. Courses are taugh ...
in the Netherlands.
Background and education
Lavanya Rajamani grew up in south India.
She holds a
Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree from the
National Law School of India University
The National Law School of India University (NLSIU or simply NLS) is a public law school and a National Law University located in Bangalore, Karnataka. It was the first National Law University to be established in India as well as one of the f ...
in 1996 and a
Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) from the
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
in 1997, where she was a Rhodes scholar. In 1998 she completed her
Master of Laws (LLM) from
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
where her supervisor was Professor
Daniel Esty. She then went on the complete her Doctor of Philosophy (D.Phil.) from the University of Oxford in 2002, where her supervisor was Professor Marcel Brus, and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) (
By Incorporation ''Ad eundem'' degree) from the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
in 2006.
Career
Lavanya Rajamani has worked on and analysed the international climate negotiations since 1998. Among other roles, she has served as a legal consultant to
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat, as a negotiator for the
Alliance of Small Island States
Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) is an intergovernmental organization of low-lying coastal and small island countries. AOSIS was established in 1990, ahead of the Second World Climate Conference. The main purpose of the alliance is to con ...
, and as a legal adviser to the Chairs of Ad Hoc Working Groups under the UNFCCC. She was also part of the UNFCCC core drafting and advisory team for the 2015
Paris Agreement
The Paris Agreement (french: Accord de Paris), often referred to as the Paris Accords or the Paris Climate Accords, is an international treaty on climate change. Adopted in 2015, the agreement covers climate change mitigation, Climate change a ...
. Rajamani has advised government and multilateral agencies, including the Danish Ministry of Climate Change, the
UNDP
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...
, the
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Interna ...
, and the
Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests.
She was previously a professor at the
Centre for Policy Research
The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) is an Indian think tank focusing on public policy. Established in 1973 and located in New Delhi, it is one of the national social science research institutes recognized by the Indian Council of Social Scie ...
in New Delhi.
She has been a lecturer of Environmental Law, and a Fellow and Director of Studies in Law, at
Queens’ College, Cambridge, and a Junior Research Fellow in Public International Law at
Worcester College, Oxford
Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms w ...
. She has also taught public international law, international climate change law, international environmental law, and human rights law at the
Hague Academy of International Law
The Hague Academy of International Law (french: Académie de droit international de La Haye) is a center for high-level education in both public and private international law housed in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. Courses are taugh ...
, Ashoka University,
Osaka Gakuin University
Osaka Gakuin University (大阪学院大学, ''Ōsaka Gakuin Daigaku''), also known as Osaka Graduate University (OGU), is a mid-sized, mid-level private liberal arts university located in Suita, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The university focuses o ...
,
Aix-Marseille University
Aix-Marseille University (AMU; french: Aix-Marseille Université; formally incorporated as ''Université d'Aix-Marseille'') is a public research university located in the Provence region of southern France. It was founded in 1409 when Louis II o ...
, and
University of Bologna
The University of Bologna ( it, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, UNIBO) is a public research university in Bologna, Italy. Founded in 1088 by an organised guild of students (''studiorum''), it is the oldest university in continuo ...
.
Rajamani serves as Coordinating Lead Author for the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations. Its job is to advance scientific knowledge about climate change caused by human activities. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) a ...
's
Sixth Assessment Report
The Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) of the United Nations (UN) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the sixth in a series of reports which assess scientific, technical, and socio-economic information concerning climate change. Thre ...
. She is a member of the influential Climate Crisis Advisory Group (CCAG), led by Sir David King, and a principal co-investigator on the inter-disciplinary Oxford University initiative, Oxford Net Zero.
She is also frequent contributor to national Indian dailies such as
The Indian Express
''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932. It is published in Mumbai by the Indian Express Group. In 1999, eight years after the group's founder Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split betw ...
and
Livemint
''Mint'' is an Indian financial daily newspaper published by HT Media, a Delhi-based media group which is controlled by the K. K. Birla family that also publishes ''Hindustan Times''. It mostly targets readers who are business executives and ...
, where she provides expertise on India's engagement with the global climate negotiations.
Research
Her latest co-edited book, the second edition of the Oxford Handbook of International Environmental Law (Oxford University Press, 2021), with over 67 chapters and 70 contributors, spans 1232 pages. Her course at the
Hague Academy of International Law
The Hague Academy of International Law (french: Académie de droit international de La Haye) is a center for high-level education in both public and private international law housed in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. Courses are taugh ...
on 'Innovation and Experimentation in the International Climate Change Regime,' was published as part of the Collected Courses of the Hague Academy of International Law/ Receuil des Cours in 2020. Her co-authored book
International Climate Change Law(Oxford University Press, 2017), was awarded an
American Society of International Law
The American Society of International Law (ASIL), founded in 1906, was chartered by the United States Congress in 1950 to foster the study of international law, and to promote the establishment and maintenance of international relations on the ba ...
Book Prize.
Rajamani has published various articles in prestigious peer-reviewed international journals such
International & Comparative Law Quarterly,
International Affairs
International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as ...
,
European Journal of International Law
The ''European Journal of International Law'' is a quarterly law journal covering international law in a combination of theoretical and practical approaches. It also provides coverage of the relationship between international law and European Unio ...
,
Climate Policy
The politics of climate change results from different perspectives on how to respond to climate change. Global warming is driven largely by the emissions of greenhouse gases due to human economic activity, especially the burning of fossil fuels, ...
, Cambridge Journal of International Law and
Theoretical Inquiries in Law
''Theoretical Inquiries in Law'' is a biannual peer-reviewed Israeli law journal published by Tel Aviv University. It is the only English law journal published by the school, and one out of two published in English in Israel, alongside Israel Law ...
.
Her lecture on the ‘International Climate Change Regime: Evolution and Challenges’ features in the
UN Audio Visual Library of International Law.
Author
* Innovation and Experimentation in the International Climate Change Regime. Collected Courses of the Hague Academy of International Law/ Recueil des Cours, Brill, 2020.
*''Differential Treatment in International Environmental Law.''
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, 2006.
Co-author
* ''International Climate Change Law.'' Oxford University Press, 2017. Daniel Bodansky,
Jutta Brunnée and Lavanya Rajamani. (Winner of the ASIL 2018 Certificate of Merit for a specialized area of international law)
*''Implementation of International Environmental Law''.
Hague Academy of International Law
The Hague Academy of International Law (french: Académie de droit international de La Haye) is a center for high-level education in both public and private international law housed in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. Courses are taugh ...
, 2011. By Sandrine Maljean Dubois and Lavanya Rajamani
Editor
* The Oxford Handbook of International Environmental Law (2nd edition). Oxford University Press, 2021. Edited by Lavanya Rajamani and Jacqueline Peel.
*''Promoting Compliance in An Evolving Climate Regime''.
Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII of England, King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press
A university press is an academic publishing hou ...
, 2012. Edited by Jutta Brunnee,
Meinhard Doelle and Lavanya Rajamani
* ''Climate Change Liability: Transnational Law and Practice''.
Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII of England, King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press
A university press is an academic publishing hou ...
, 2012 Edited by Richard Lord, Silke Goldberg, Lavanya Rajamani and Jutta Brunnee
References
Further reading
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rajamani, Lavanya
Living people
Alumni of the University of Cambridge
Fellows of Queens' College, Cambridge
Yale University alumni
21st-century Indian lawyers
21st-century Indian women lawyers
Indian Rhodes Scholars
Academics of the University of Oxford
Indian environmental lawyers
1973 births
Alumni of Hertford College, Oxford