The session on 20 February was opened by AUCEL’s new co-directors, Drs Eddy Wifa and Lennan Mitchell, who set the seminar’s focus on justice, governance, and policy in energy law.

They welcomed guest lecturer Professor Raphael J. Heffron, dean of the College of Law at Abu Dhabi University and a globally recognised authority in energy, climate, and just transition law, who delivered a presentation entitled “International Energy Law: Challenges in the Light of Chaos”.

Professor Heffron explored the key drivers of IEL, which he identified as safety, energy security, economics, infrastructure, ownership, technology, and justice. He traced the development of the field from the early pursuit of safety regulations in coal mining to emerging challenges in clean energy, investment, and policy alignment. 

Situating this historical analysis within contemporary contexts, he analysed how IEL is increasingly being shaped by global, national, and local priorities, stressing why justice outcomes must remain central to the work of energy researchers.

He encouraged data-driven, context-sensitive research underpinned by the JUST framework, which considers Justice, Universality, Space, and Time to ensure scholarly work addresses practical, economic, and societal impacts, especially given the growing relevance of IEL for global governance, policy, and justice outcomes.

Professor Heffron emphasised the importance of proactive public engagement, whereby researchers collaborate with policymakers and investors to influence a just energy transition. He concluded that researchers must take such proactive initiatives because “law is responsible for changing the rules of the game”.