Call for Submissions
Hydraulic Fracturing: A Comparative Assessment
Research Workshop
at the
IUCN Academy of Environmental Law
12th Annual Colloquium
July 1, 2014
Universitat Rovira i Virgili
Tarragona, Spain
Organized by the Research Committee of the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law
and Lewis & Clark Law School
Overview
The IUCN Academy of Environmental Law will hold a half-day workshop focusing on
the legal, environmental, political, and economic aspects of hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”)
around the globe. Due to the advancement of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing
technologies, extraction of oil and gas has become easier and more affordable. These
technological advancements have also opened new areas to oil and gas development and
accelerated the rate of oil and gas production in many areas. Legal frameworks to address these
developments, however, are only beginning to emerge to address the many environmental,
economic, energy-related, and social implications of the fracking boom. This half-day workshop
will explore the current legal landscape that applies to hydraulic fracturing in different countries.
The research workshop will also involve a discussion of regulatory gaps and the role that
researchers can play regarding hydraulic fracturing.
This workshop aims to provide participants with an overview of how various jurisdictions
are regulating and otherwise treating hydraulic fracturing under domestic and sub-national laws.
The workshop will also consider the effects of hydraulic fracturing on global energy markets,
domestic energy development, and the international climate change regime. Most importantly,
the research workshop will explore opportunities for collaboration and advancement of research
regarding hydraulic fracturing.
Call for Submissions and Workshop Participation
We seek submissions from scholars interested in presenting brief summaries that address
how governments have addressed hydraulic fracturing within their jurisdictions. We also seek
submissions from scholars who have explored the international implications of the fracking
boom. Topics of particular interest include:
1. Regulation of water resources used or affected by hydraulic fracturing;
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2. Regulation of air quality affected by hydraulic fracturing;
3. Regulation of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing;
4. The intersection of property laws and hydraulic fracturing;
5. The social impacts of hydraulic fracturing on local communities;
6. The economic impacts of hydraulic fracturing on a local, national, and international level;
7. The political impacts of hydraulic fracturing;
8. The impacts of hydraulic fracturing on energy markets; and
9. The climate change implications of hydraulic fracturing.
We aim to have as many regions of the world as possible represented in this workshop.
Once we receive submissions, we will organize researchers into different groups. Each group
will then coordinate to provide workshop attendees with a comparative overview of each of the
above topics. Through this process, we aim to promote collaboration among researchers and to
ensure the workshop provides ample time for discussion. We will then conclude the workshop by
developing an agenda for future research.
Submission details
If you are interested in presenting or providing information for the workshop, please
submit your proposals not exceeding 500 words to Professor Melissa Powers, Lewis & Clark
Law School, at powers@lclark.edu, with a copy to the IUCN Academy Secretariat at
iucnael@uottawa.ca. Proposals should have a title and include the name and contact details of
the submitter.
Please submit your proposals by 10 March 2014.
Please also indicate whether you will attend the workshop in person. Submissions are
welcome from researchers who cannot attend the workshop, but who may want to work
collaboratively with other researchers regarding specific topics.
Registration
Workshop attendance is open to all registered attendees of the IUCN Academy of
Environmental Law Colloquium. You may register for the workshop when you register for the
Colloquium.
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