The Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL) invites students from all corners of the world to enter the 2015 CISDL Legal Essay Competition themed: Climate Change, Sustainable Development and the Law: Governance Challenges and Innovations.

Entries are expected to address the following:

• What are the most pressing legal and governance challenges for the world in responding to the threats and opportunities of climate change in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, including the outcomes of Paris climate negotiations?
• Which innovative legal and institutional instruments and practices hold potential to help address these challenges, at international, national or local levels?
• How can climate law and governance innovations be implemented across diverse sectors for more sustainable development?

The legal essay competition is open to students of law and related fields at the undergraduate and graduate level, from all regions of the world. Students from least developed countries are especially encouraged to apply. Papers should be 10 pages in length single-spaced, and address a current pressing international, regional or local legal research or governance challenge relating to climate change and sustainable development, identifying or proposing innovative legal instruments which might provide solutions to the challenge.

The international gold, two silver and three bronze award winning entries will be announced in a special legal awards ceremony at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (CoP21) in Paris, France, and will be published internationally by the CISDL in 2016. The best entries will receive $300.00 USD prizes for Gold Award and $200.00 USD prizes for each of the Silver Award winners.

Award-winning student authors will also be invited to present their papers during the UNFCCC 21rst Conference of the Parties (CoP21) at Climate Law and Governance Day on the 4th of December at La Sorbonne Law Faculty in Paris, France.

Please send entries, along with a 200 word biography, to the ‘Climate Essay International Jury’ at <climate-essay@cisdl.org> by 5pm EST, 22^nd of November 2015.

Entries will be considered on a rolling basis, so candidates for the award are warmly encouraged to send their applications early.

For further details about Climate Law and Governance Day, and international law on climate change, see: www.cisdl.org