Roger Cox is a CIGI senior fellow with the International Law Research Program (ILRP), effective September 2015. He is a partner at the Dutch law firm Paulussen Advocaten.
At CIGI, Roger is contributing to the ILRP’s research theme on international environmental law. He is authoring a CIGI paper and policy brief on climate change and the use of international law, commitments and treaties in domestic courts and concepts of legitimacy and justice.
Roger represented the Urgenda Foundation and 900 Dutch citizens in precedent-setting litigation in which The Hague District Court ordered the Dutch government to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 25 percent by 2020. The case was primarily based on tort law, human rights law and international environmental law. His book, Revolution Justified (2011), provided the inspirational impetus for the successful Dutch climate case.
Roger is also one of the attorneys representing the Belgian NGO Klimaatzaak and almost 10,000 citizens in the climate proceedings launched against the Belgium government at the beginning of 2015. Moreover, he is helping to set up a network of NGOs and lawyers for possible climate proceedings in other countries.
In addition to his climate litigation practice, Roger is head of the real estate, city development, energy and infrastructure practice at Paulussen Advocaten. He is also founder of the Planet Prosperity Foundation, through which he promotes the circular economy. The Dutch Green Building Council selected Roger as one of the most influential people in sustainable real estate development and he is listed in Trouw newspaper’s Sustainability Top 100.
Roger is a visiting university lecturer, publishes regularly and holds seats at several business councils on sustainable development.
