I research international and comparative climate law — the obligations of states to mitigate climate change, the rise of climate litigation, and the climate–migration nexus — bridging doctrinal scholarship and climate governance in practice.
Benoit Mayer is Professor of Climate Law at the School of Law, University of Reading. He previously held positions at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (2016–2024) and Wuhan University (2015–2016). He is Executive Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese Journal of Environmental Law, a member of the UNFCCC Roster of Experts, and a Lead Author of the IPCC's Seventh Assessment Report — responsible for Chapter 6 of the Working Group III report, on “policies and governance and international cooperation.”
His research explores international and comparative climate law: the obligations of states relating to climate change mitigation, the role of national environmental assessment tools, and the climate–migration nexus. It has appeared in the American Journal of International Law, the European Journal of International Law, and International and Comparative Law Quarterly, and in monographs with Cambridge and Oxford University Press. He holds degrees from University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, McGill University, and the National University of Singapore.
Positions
Education
Five monographs and four edited volumes with Oxford, Cambridge, Edward Elgar, Hart and Presses de Sciences Po, alongside articles in leading international and environmental law journals.
All books, with details & buy links →
See all articles & book chapters →
At Reading I convene and teach modules across international and environmental law, and I supervise doctoral research in climate, environmental and international law.
Previously at CUHK: Climate Law · Clean Energy & Climate Law · International Environmental Law · Principles of Environmental Law · Legal Research Methodology.
Currently supervising at Reading:
Nine doctoral students supervised to completion at CUHK (2018–2023), plus external examining at Cambridge, Sciences Po and elsewhere. How to apply for a PhD →
Complete record of publications, funding, teaching, talks, awards and service.
↓ Download CV (PDF)As a member of the UNFCCC Roster of Experts, I serve on technical expert teams reviewing national reports on climate action:
I welcome enquiries from prospective doctoral students, journalists, and research collaborators.
Email is hidden from scrapers and shown on click.
Post
Professor Benoit Mayer