Climate change has a complex cross-cutting impact on society and almost all areas of the law. To implement the new Paris climate agreement and their nationally determined contributions (NDCs), countries will have to review existing legal frameworks and develop new rules and regulations. This is a new area for law makers all over the world and there are no “one size fits all” solutions.

A tailored approach, reflecting the specific needs and circumstances of a jurisdiction is therefore needed. With the financial support of The Funding Network (TFN) and the Climate Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), LRI in collaboration with Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) is therefore testing a “bottom-up” law review and development approach on climate change in one jurisdiction – Cameroon.

The project combines “action research” and awareness raising with peer learning and capacity building. If successful, the approach can be easily replicated in other jurisdictions. In the first stage, legislative priorities are defined through a programme of interviews, surveys, focus group discussions and community consultations.