VNAL subsidy for international conference `Takings for climate justice and resilience’

The Association of Notaries in the Former District of Leeuwarden (VNAL) has awarded a subsidy of € 4.500 to Associate Professor Private Law and Sustainability Björn Hoops. The grant has been awarded for the organization of an international congress on the expropriation and regulation of property that will take place on 29 and 30 September 2022 in Groningen.

Takings for climate justice and resilience

Because of increasing global warming, more measures will have to be taken to protect the climate. The latest IPCC report makes this very clear.

During this international conference, the organizers want to take up the challenge of clarifying what constitutional property law entails for tackling the climate crisis. Constitutional property law allows for the restriction or expropriation of property (i.e. the forced transfer of property from a private individual for a project in the public interest) but also makes this conditional.

The less effective incentives, such as subsidies, for making homes and business premises climate-proof become, the more the government may have to force people to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

For example, should the government be able to expropriate land in order to allow an energy company to build a windmill and/or solar farm on it? Could permits for mining activities be revoked and/or cancelled? Should the government be able to force owners to install solar panels on their roofs? And what about the phasing out of coal- or gas-fired power plants?

Scenarios like these will be the focus of the conference 'Takings for climate justice and resilience’.

About VNAL

The VNAL, founded in 1845, is an association of notaries whose objectives include promoting notarial science and publications. VNAL provides annual subsidies for this purpose.

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This article was published by the Faculty of Law.

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