Academic Lawyer at University of Aberdeen, Professor of Law. Tweets on access to technologies and innovation law, building on IGF workshop 2009. Views my own
Catch up on the latest in the Resilient North-East series from ACA!
Planning for Environmental Change
Last September, we examined the problem. This February, we discussed the solution
Watch our latest Climate Café online for free now!
Use the link below
youtube.com/@aberdeenclimate…
A landmark international agreement that will create a legal mechanism to establish protected marine zones in waters beyond national jurisdiction has received Royal Assent in Britain.
The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement, also know... royalgazette.com/environment…
We are grieving the loss of Kristina Gjerde, who passed away yesterday, 26 December 2025, of cancer. She was a lawyer — graceful, thoughtful, and elegantly articulate — who championed the Ocean, particularly the deep sea. Read our full message here: linkedin.com/feed/update/urn…
ALT A photo of Kristina Gjerde in front of a rocky beach.
The Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Sustainable Development Goals are closely aligned.
Explore this interactive tool to see how #KMGBF targets link to #SDG targets ⤵️
🔗 unep.org/interactives/biodiv…
We have new blog posts up!
Aberdeen Climate Action regularly has a variety of contributors writing their thoughts on current environmental topics, reviewing literature, and discussing our latest Climate Cafés
Read our latest entry here:
aberdeenclimateaction.org/20…
How does the new model of US bilateral health agreements with African countries impact negotiations for equitable pandemic preparedness and response? In our new Policy Brief we examine the implications for pathogen access and benefit sharing in the emerging multilateral system 👇
Behind the scenes of the mutirão decision at #COP30
The Belém negotiations ended in a delicate North–South compromise.
Developing countries fought to defend equity, real finance and fair treatment, while developed countries resisted firm obligations, even as they demanded tighter mitigation rules.
As a result, they arrived at a fragile balance, with key wins for the South on trade and Article 9.1, but watered-down commitments on adaptation finance.
📰 Read TWN's 6th report on #COP30's outcomes 👉tinyurl.com/3ckwvaww
Today, the world celebrates 10 years since the #ParisAgreement.
The #BBNJ Agreement helps protect the Earth’s largest climate regulator: our shared ocean. It reinforces key Paris principles and supports shared goals for a stable, thriving planet.
📷 @UNEP
ALT Timeline highlighting key global environmental agreements and events from 1972 to 2023, including the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement on climate change. The timeline is presented in a streamlined design with notable checkpoints marked along a horizontal arrow, and the UN Environment logo is displayed at the top right corner. The note at the bottom clarifies that the timeline does not represent an exhaustive list of all environmental agreements.
ALT A blue underwater scene showing a sea turtle swimming near a colorful coral reef, with the ocean surface visible above. The text on the image reads: "Implement the Agreement. Act for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity."
DOALOS is implementing activities, funded by the European Union, to support developing States in turning the BBNJ Agreement into action by assessing needs and priorities (1)
ALT Photo of a United Nations conference room during the BBNJ Preparatory Comission with delegates seated at desks. Text on the image reads: “Turning Agreement into Action. Taking action on the BBNJ Agreement, swipe to see how.”
Synthetic media and intellectual property (IP) took center stage at the twelfth session of the WIPO Conversation on IP and Frontier Technologies.
More than 1,700 attendees from across the world participated in the Conference last week, sharing experiences, identifying challenges, and exploring policy options to address the impact of AI-generated images, videos, audio, and text – and the role the IP system can play.
More: ow.ly/us3050XlLpQ
📷 WIPO/Berrod.
#WIPOfrontierTech
ALT A large screen projection of a WIPO Director General Daren Tang addressing the audience remotely at the 12th WIPO Conversation on Intellectual Property and Frontier Technologies, while panelists sit in the WIPO conference room.
🏴☠️🧬The WHO Bureau’s draft for the PABS Annex weakens global equity: no standard contracts, no traceability or transparency, and loopholes that could allow biopiracy.
A system meant to ensure equal footing risks becoming another one-sided deal.
See TWN's full analysis of the Bureau's proposal▶️tinyurl.com/5yjyhp73
Does the EU AI Act apply to AI agents? The Commission’s initial views seem to suggest AI agents might not always qualify as an AI system. MEP Lagodinsky asked the Commission to clarify its position and warned about a potential misalignment.
mlex.com/mlex/articles/24076…
📢Today, the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) for the #pandemictreaty started its 3rd meeting to develop a Pathogen Access and Benefits Sharing (PABS) Annex. The meeting takes place on 3-7 Nov in Geneva.
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🔵 Just announced: Hosted by the Nippon Foundation and co-organized by @IocUnesco as part of the #OceanDecade, the ‘Island States Ocean Summit: Sustainable Ocean Action for Resilient Islands’ will take place on 3-4 June 2026 in Tokyo, Japan.
👉 ow.ly/rL3W50XlJfq
Have you visited DOSI’s Virtual Booth at the #COP30 Ocean Pavilion? 🌍
🔹 Ask one of our experts your #DeepSea questions
🔹 Dive into our webinars, policy briefs, podcasts, and more
👉 cop30oceanpavilion.vfairs.co…
Today, our partner Federica Casolari from @aberdeenuni gave a presentation at the European Conference on Marine Natural Products (ECMNP) focusing on "The new UN BBNJ Agreement: A Scientist's Guide To Policy Developments"
Check out some pictures below!