PhD and PostDoc projects

Federica's PhD project, supervised by Associate Prof. Beatriz Martinez Romera (primary supervisor) and Associate Prof. Amnon Lev, focuses on the conservation and enhancement of the ocean carbon sink. The topic is explored through the lenses of regime interaction theory, and the project focuses both on the normative and institutional interactions between the climate, ocean and biodiversity regimes.

PhD student Federica Catonini

Sidsel’s PhD project explores the role of European consensus in the protection and development of the rights and freedoms of minority groups within the European Court of Human Rights. The project is supervised by Jens Elo Rytter (primary supervisor) and Pernille Boye Koch, and is co-financed with the Danish Institute for Human Rights.

PhD Student Sidsel Juul

Anya's PhD research delves into offshore wind and biodiversity law in the European context, exploring the intersection between energy law, oceans law and environmental and biodiversity regimes. The preliminary title of the project is: Protecting Our Oceans: The Challenges and Opportunities of Offshore Wind in the EU.

The PhD-project is co-financed by Tænketanken Hav (The Ocean Institute), and is supervised by Associate Prof. Beatriz Martinez Romera.

PhD Student Anya Kristina Cheng Dahl

This PhD project is funded by the University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Law and the Global Maritime Forum and it is supervised by Associate Prof. Beatriz Martinez Romera.

The project, entitled “An IMO GHG Pricing Instrument: the interaction between international trade and climate law for shipping decarbonization”, aims to examine some of the interactions between shipping, trade and climate change law with a specific focus on the regulation of shipping GHG emissions post the 2023 IMO Revised Strategy. By elucidating the regulatory frameworks, opportunities and challenges for carbon pricing, border adjustment mechanisms, green fuels development, ensuring a fair and equitable transition to net-zero, the research will contribute to informing the development of more effective and sustainable policies in the maritime sector and offer valuable insights into climate change governance.

PhD Student Sebastiano Gianino

The PhD project examines how domestic courts engage with tort law – specifically the doctrines of negligence and nuisance – to address corporate contributions to climate change. Through a comparative analysis of landmark climate cases from the United States, Europe and New Zealand, the research explores how courts reason about justiciability and corporate responsibility. The project combines legal doctrinal analysis with theoretical perspectives on the institutional role of the judiciary and the normative foundations of tort law, thereby aiming to assess the potential of tort law as a tool for corporate climate accountability.

PhD Student Pernille Holten Poulsen

The goal of Stella’s Postdoc project is to address and advance within the decarbonization of the international shipping industry, which is responsible for up to 3% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Although the International Maritime Organization’s 2023 GHG Strategy marks a significant step in this direction, structural challenges within the maritime transport industry – such as its reliance on traditional contracting, complex offshore financing and information gaps – hinder effective action. To bridge this gap, the project analyzes key risks and market failures, including informational asymmetries, split incentives and accountability limitations. By providing new insights on e.g. stranded asset risks, climate litigation and emerging zero-emission technologies, the project aims to support informed investment decisions aligned with climate goals. This approach aims to help establish a clear regulatory framework that makes non-compliance costly, reduces liability shifting and promotes cooperative practices. This project is funded by Oceankind and takes place in partnership with the University College London and the University of Rotterdam.

Postdoc Ana Stella Ebbersmeyer

Dr. Meng Zhang’s Postdoc project, entitled Regulatory Innovation to Incentivize Green Hydrogen, is funded by the Innovation Fund Denmark. His postdoc project aims to contribute to the deployment of green hydrogen as a key component of the green transition in Denmark, the EU and beyond. Through a comprehensive understanding and analysis of the latest regulatory developments, the project will point out how to enable, from a legal and institutional perspective, the deployment of green hydrogen in Denmark.

The project will:

i) contribute to the planning of a green hydrogen infrastructure by tackling regulatory, implementation and institutional barriers,

ii) support the design of financial incentives for the production and commercialization of green hydrogen, and

iii) propose ways in which to increase green hydrogen’s social acceptance, including consumers-centered solutions.

Postdoc Meng Zhang

Alberto Barrio's postdoctoral research within the Horizon Europe project EXPRESS2 examines how climate change and biodiversity loss may challenge the EU social contract. Through comparative and EU legal research, stakeholder engagement, and cross-disciplinary analysis, his work identifies key stressors and areas of friction resulting from climate and biodiversity imperatives. The project culminates in a series of reports and policy recommendations aimed at enhancing the resilience of the EU social contract against these environmental challenges, contributing to EXPRESS2's broader goal of developing a more democratic, inclusive, and sustainable social framework for Europe.

Postdoc Alberto Barrio Fernandez