Climate and Energy Governance for a Sustainable Future

Rafael Leal-Arcas is Professor of Law at Alfaisal University (Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and Jean Monnet Professor of EU International Economic Law, awarded by the European Commission. Among other professorships, he was also visiting professor at New York University Abu Dhabi in the UAE and the Inaugural Lee Kong Chian International Visiting Professor of Law at the Yong Pung How School of Law of Singapore Management University, Singapore. Dr. Leal-Arcas’s research has been funded by the EU Commission’s Horizon 2020 program, most notably a grant of EUR 14 million as part of a consortium of 21 institutions to work on renewable energy and smart grids. He is also on the roster of arbitrators and trade and sustainable development (TSD) experts in bilateral disputes under the European Union’s trade agreements with third countries, selected by the Directorate-General for Trade, European Commission. In addition, he is on the roster of experts for legal services of the Energy Community Secretariat. Since 2022, he serves as an expert for the UK’s Department for International Trade’s (DIT) Sustainability Thematic Working Group. He received his graduate legal education at Stanford Law School, Columbia Law School, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and the European University Institute (Florence).

• Did the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement Change the Trajectory of the Global Response to the Build-up of Greenhouse Gas Emissions?.- COP26: Ambition, Coal, Finance, and the Paris Rulebook.- Was COP26 Critical for the Implementation of the 2015 Paris Agreement?.- Can the Political Process in Washington Create Policy for Meaningful Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions?.- Carbon Pricing: Some Problems and Solutions.- Carbon Pricing: Punitive Taxation on Beef.- Should Policymakers Encourage the Development of Specific Green Energy Technologies? Advantages and Risks.- Clean Energy Technologies as a Way to Combat the Climate Crisis.- Access to Clean, Affordable, and Reliable Energy Sources to Promote Economic Prosperity.- Should Policymakers Promote Electric Vehicles and Other Elements of Electrification in Areas with Carbon Intensive Electricity Supply?.- How to Promote Electrification, Decarbonize the Electricity Supply and Improve Energy Efficiency Concurrently.- Promoting Electric Vehicles as the Silver Bullet for Tackling Climate Change.