Comparative Tort Law Seminar Series / “Aux armes, citoyens …” – Climate Change Liability and Tort Law, a French Perspective by Prof. Dr. Jonas Knetsch
Date: 9 June 2026
Time: 16:00
Venue: Erdal Onar Seminar Room, B-124
ABOUT THE SERIES
The Comparative Tort Law Seminar Series brings together distinguished scholars from around the world to share their expertise and insights on contemporary issues in tort law, fostering a deeper understanding of comparative perspectives and interdisciplinary approaches.
ABSTRACT
The development of climate change litigation against both private companies and public authorities shows the delicate interplay of civil liability, state liability and procedural rules. Professor Knetsch will explain why French civil and administrative courts are at the forefront of mobilizing legal resources in order to challenge the Government’s inaction on climate change policy and failure to meet its own goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, with regard to the issue of legitimacy of court action in the field of national and international environmental policy.
BIO
Jonas Knetsch is a Professor of Civil and Comparative Law at the Sorbonne Law School (University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne). Before his PhD in Comparative Tort Law, he graduated from the University Panthéon-Assas and from the University of Cologne (Germany). He was appointed full professor in 2013 following his success in the ‘concours d’agrégation’ in private law. From 2013 to 2021, he held professorships at the University of Réunion and Jean Monnet University of Saint-Étienne. Jonas Knetsch has published extensively in tort and insurance
law as well as in comparative law. Lately, he has conducted research projects on tort law and insurance law issues related to data protection and on the interplay of social security, private insurance and tort law compensation.
All interested participants are welcome.