Research Fellow Nivedita S participated in the 11th European Environmental Law Forum (EELF) conference entitled “Sustainable Energy: Still United in Diversity? Integrating Energy, Climate and Environmental Law in Times of Geopolitical Instability” from 28 – 30 August 2024. The conference was hosted by the Groningen Centre of Energy Law and Sustainability (GCELS), Groningen University, Netherlands. The conference delved into the legal developments relating to sustainable energy, including the various legal aspects of energy production, infrastructure, consumption and efficiency, as well as intersections with nature conservation, water management, circular economy, product design and other relevant fields of regulation both in Europe and internationally.

Nivedita was part of a panel on Frameworks for Sustainable Energy and Climate Resilience on 30 August 2024, where she presented on behalf of Denise Cheong and herself on “Conceptualising “Sustainable Energy” for a Holistic Transition”. Given the ambiguity surrounding the term “sustainable energy” and that a common understanding of what is meant by “sustainable energy” is key to a holistic energy transition, her presentation aimed to contribute to the conceptualisation of the term by going back to the heart of sustainable development in international environmental law. In this regard, her presentation drew on the legal imperatives/perspectives provided by the Rio Declaration on the Environment and Development and Agenda 21 to shape the contours of “sustainable energy” and the Energy Indicators for Sustainable Development framework.