Natural Resources, Energy & Environmental Law Research

To a significant degree, the terms, international and energy describe the future for Alberta and for Calgary. They also highlight a major focus on the University of Calgary and for the Faculty of Law. The Faculty’s Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law Research group (NREELR) promotes education, research and publication in the area of natural resources, energy and environmental law, and facilitate collaboration and interaction with related disciplines and institutions, the legal profession and the community.

Professor Nigel Bankes (left), took over the role as Chair of Natural Resources Law in 2008. The role of the holder of the Chair of Natural Resources Law is to teach and conduct research in the areas of Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law within the Law Faculty, and to interact closely with members of the legal profession engaged in practice in the field.

"The Faculty of Law already has more strength in this area than other Canadian law schools", says Professor Al Lucas. "What we want to do is enhance our capability through additional Faculty appointments and through collaboration with other legal scholars and with researchers in related disciplines and their institutions. We are already working with economists, regulatory specialists, and environmental scientists.

See here for a list of all members in the Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law Research group.

On the legal side, specific project collaboration can be developed with the Canadian Institute of Resources Law (CIRL), an independent affiliated research, education and international assistance institution located in the Law Faculty’s Murray Fraser Hall that is being fully integrated into the Faculty of Law. This will build on existing cooperation in the CIRL/Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre (ACLRC), project on Human Rights in Natural Resource Development and in CIRL’s Russian oil and gas law and policy work.

Collaboration with related disciplines includes additional work with members of the University of Calgary Faculties of Environmental Design and Social Science, and the Haskayne School of Business.