Call for Papers: CONCORDIA 2026, National Conclave on the Environment Between Rights and Markets at School of Law, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru [Hybrid]

CONCORDIA 2026 is a National Conclave and Paper Presentation on "The Environment Between Rights and Markets: Environmental Governance, Green Jurisprudence and the Sustainability Transition", organised by the Environmental Law Studies and Orientation Programme in collaboration with the Management Studies and Incubation Start-Ups Committee at the School of Law, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru. It runs on 4 and 5 September 2026 at the Central Campus in Bengaluru, with an online track for remote participants.

The conclave examines the relationship between environmental governance, sustainable development, business responsibility, public policy and market-driven sustainability initiatives. It invites original and unpublished research on environmental governance, climate action, ESG and CSR, sustainable finance, green innovation, corporate sustainability, environmental justice and emerging sustainability frameworks, and is deliberately built as an interdisciplinary platform rather than a purely doctrinal one.

The School of Law at CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru is administered by the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate and offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes framed by Bar Council of India and UGC guidelines. CHRIST is NAAC accredited and is ranked 67 among Indian universities in the NIRF India Ranking.

The Environmental Law Studies and Orientation Programme works on environmental advocacy and legal reform through conclaves, seminars, workshops, guest lectures and field visits, and has collaborated with foreign universities, NGOs, government bodies and international organisations. The Management Studies and Incubation Start-Ups Committee connects legal academia with corporate management and, alongside the Christ Incubation and Consultancy Foundation, supports student entrepreneurship through mentorship and initiatives such as InnoPitch.

The faculty coordinators are Dr. V Muthu Ruben, Dr. Vidya Ann Jacob, Dr. Manjeri Subin Sunder Raj, Dr. Aswathy Madhukumar and Prof. Oindrilla Ghosh.

Submissions are invited under four themes, each with five sub-themes. The list is indicative of the conclave's scope rather than exhaustive of it.

Theme I: Climate Governance, Environmental Law and Public Policy

• Climate governance and State responsibility
• Climate justice and sustainable development
• Environmental rights and constitutionalism
• Comparative environmental jurisprudence and regulation
• Environmental dispute resolution and climate arbitration

Theme II: ESG, Corporate Governance and Business Responsibility

• ESG governance and corporate accountability
• Sustainability reporting and disclosure
• CSR, stakeholder value and social impact
• Board leadership and climate risk management
• Greenwashing, assurance and compliance

Theme III: Sustainable Finance, Markets and Enterprise

• Sustainable finance and responsible investment
• Carbon markets and green financial instruments
• Green entrepreneurship and sustainable business models
• Startups, innovation and the green economy
• Supply chain sustainability and ethical business practices

Theme IV: Environmental Science, Technology and Sustainable Futures

• Biodiversity, conservation and ecosystem restoration
• Sustainable cities and urban resilience
• Climate science, data and environmental research
• Technology, AI and sustainability innovation
• Circular economy and resource management

Participation is open to students and research scholars enrolled in undergraduate, postgraduate or doctoral programmes in Law, Management, Environmental Science and other allied disciplines at recognised universities and institutions in India. Interdisciplinary and collaborative research is encouraged.

• Both individual and co-authored submissions are permitted, subject to the submission guidelines.
• English is the official language of the conclave. All abstracts, papers, presentations and proceedings must be in English.

Papers must be original and unpublished. The formatting requirements are prescribed in the brochure and apply to both the abstract and the full paper.

• Abstract: up to 300 words.
• Full paper: 3,000 to 4,000 words, including the abstract but excluding footnotes.
• Body text: Times New Roman, 12 pt, 1.5 line spacing, justified alignment, 1 inch margins on all sides.
• Footnotes: Times New Roman, 10 pt, single spacing, Bluebook 21st Edition. Endnotes and descriptive or running footnotes are not permitted.
• AI use: restricted to under 10 per cent of the overall document.

The registration fee applies to presenters and is payable in two tranches, the first on acceptance of the abstract and the second on completion of final registration. Unless otherwise notified, the fee is non-refundable.

• Online, single author: Rs 800 per head
• Online, co-authored: Rs 1,000 per team
• Offline, single author: Rs 1,500 per head
• Offline, co-authored: Rs 1,800 per team

Offline participation is limited to 60 participants on a first come, first served basis. Participants from Bengaluru and elsewhere in Karnataka are advised to register for the offline mode.

Registration and abstract submission happen together through a single Google Form, which is also reachable from the QR code printed in the official brochure.

• Complete the registration form and submit the abstract on or before 15 August 2026.
• Abstracts go through a peer-review process. Only authors whose abstracts are accepted are invited to submit full papers and complete final registration formalities.
• Acceptances are communicated by 18 August 2026, and the full paper is due by 1 September 2026.

The organising committee will not arrange accommodation. Outstation participants are asked to make their own lodging and travel arrangements.

Queries can be directed to any of the student convenors listed in the contact section, whose institutional email addresses and phone numbers are published in the official brochure.