CSSN is an international network of social science scholars focused on understanding the cultural and institutional dynamics of the political conflict over climate change.

ABOUT CSSN

The Latest

Companies and Climate Change: Theory and Law in the United Kingdom
Latest
Companies and Climate Change: Theory and Law in the United Kingdom
CSSN Scholar Lisa Benjamin's new book shows how company law can and should act as a bridge (rather than a barrier) to progressive corporate climate action.
White knights, or horsemen of the apocalypse? Prospects for Big Oil to align emissions with a 1.5 °C pathway
Latest
White knights, or horsemen of the apocalypse? Prospects for Big Oil to align emissions with a 1.5 °C pathway
Oil and gas companies are unlikely to decarbonize in line with 1.5°C pathway, according to a new peer-reviewed study by CSSN Scholars Dario Kenner and Richard Heede.
Disrupting the energy system: How clusters of innovations can accelerate the low-carbon energy transition
Latest
Disrupting the energy system: How clusters of innovations can accelerate the low-carbon energy transition
CSSN Scholar Christina E. Hoicka's research on how to score the uptake of climate innovation is featured by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Washington will become second US state to adopt cap-and-trade Law. But what happens next really matters
Latest
Washington will become second US state to adopt cap-and-trade law. But what happens next really matters
Regulatory decisions will have a large role determining the impact of Washington state's new cap-and-trade law, writes CSSN Scholar Joshua A. Basseches.
Republicans’ climate credibility hit by make-believe ‘war on burgers’ claim
Latest
Republicans’ climate credibility hit by make-believe ‘war on burgers’ claim
CSSN Director of Research Robert Brulle comments on the dated conservative talking points used against climate action in The Guardian.
Biden’s Climate Opportunity in Latin America
Latest
Biden’s Climate Opportunity in Latin America
Latin America’s governments need to align their rebuilding strategies with their commitments under the 2015 Paris climate agreement, writes CSSN Scholar Guy Edwards with Benjamin N. Gedan.
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CSSN in Action

The Latest Research
 The latest releases of research from CSSN Scholars around the world, advancing knowledge about climate conflicts and organizations obstructing action on climate change.
Our Working Groups
 CSSN working groups bring together scholars with shared interests, for discussion and collaborative research. The working groups will provide input into the CSSN Research Agenda. The groups are self-organizing and directing, and we hope to provide seed funding.
Our Projects
 CSSN scholars have several projects underway that evaluate the institutional and cultural dynamics of climate-related political conflicts.

Welcome to CSSN

CSSN Seeks to:

  • Coordinate, conduct, and support peer-reviewed research into the institutional and cultural dynamics of political conflicts around climate change,
  • Assist scholars to communicate the results of this research to policymakers, the public, and the wider climate change community, and
  • Conduct educational activities regarding the results of the research to inform the political, legal, and media communities.

Lisa Benjamin

Featured Scholar:

Dr. Lisa Benjamin is an Assistant Professor and Lewis & Clark Law School where she teaches Environmental Justice, International Climate Change, Energy Resources and Administrative Law. Her research investigates the intersection of corporate, energy and environmental law with a focus on climate risk and climate justice. She also researches climate change from the perspective of developing countries. She is currently a member of the Compliance Committee (Facilitative Branch) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and has been an adviser to, and member of, the Bahamian national delegation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Learn more about Lisa Benjamin.

Featured Research

Solar Geoengineering Research in the United States: Key Critical Questions

In a new CSSN Position Paper, CSSN Scholars Prakash Kashwan, Duncan McLaren, Jennie Stephens, and Kevin Surprise outline three areas of key questions to ask about any effort to advance solar geoengineering research using public funds.

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