Climate Attribution Conference Explores Science, Law and Accountability
June 25, 2026 | Jill Baker | State of the Planet, Columbia Climate School
On June 10 and 11, Columbia Climate School and the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law co-hosted their second conference on Attribution Science and Climate Law. Over two days of panels and presentations, scientists and legal experts discussed the implications of climate change attribution science—a branch of research that examines the causal links between human activities, global climate change and the impacts of climate change—which underpins many recent lawsuits seeking to hold polluters and corporations responsible for climate-related harms….
… Yet it was clear that the bridge between science and law is being built under hostile fire. The day two plenary, “Defending Science in the Current Political Climate,” underscored that notion. Rachel Rothschild from the University of Michigan Law School; Andrew Dessler of Texas A&M (who led the science community’s pushback to the Department of Energy’s release of a controversial 2025 report); Delta Merner from the Union of Concerned Scientists; and Lauren Kurtz from the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund all described how climate researchers have faced lawsuits, aggressive open‑records requests, and proposals to dismantle federal research programs. They warned of a growing “brain drain” as early‑career scientists weigh the personal costs of staying in the U.S.