The Centre for Environmental and Energy Law (CMER) is part of the Department of European, Public and International Law of the Faculty of Law and Criminology of Ghent University.
Our research includes fundamental (PhD) and applied (policy oriented) legal and policy research, and multidisciplinary research.
It covers different layers of law (international, European and national/regional, with a comparative law approach) as well as the various sectors of environmental law and energy law (climate, energy, biodiversity, pollution, land-use, animals, etc.).
Through its research and the organization of workshops, conferences and symposia the CMER aims to be a driving force for sustainable development and the transition towards a carbon neutral economy.
European Environmental Law Forum Conference 2025
CMER UGent hosted the 12th EELF Conference in September 2025, which focussed on the role of law in driving the paradigm shift towards climate adaptation in the EU.
Conference poster for a quick overview on focus, dates and themes
Conference website for detailed information, programme, registration and practical information
PhD research in the spotlight
Regulatory Solutions to Plastic Pollution in Nigeria: Perspectives from Emerging International Norms and Best Practices
Expertise: Comparative International Environmental Law; Regulatory Solutions to Plastic Pollution.
Olusola Adeyegbe had his early education in Nigeria and was awarded the LL. B Degree with Second Class Honours (Upper Division) by the Obafemi Awolowo University in 1985. He was subsequently admitted into the Nigerian Bar in October 1986 and obtained an LL.M degree in Petroleum Taxation & Finance from the University of Dundee, United Kingdom in 2008. During his LL.M program at the University of Dundee, one of his seven research papers was on Climate Change, and the one on Project Financing was published in CEPMLP Annual Review (CAR) in July 2008. His Master’s degree dissertation for which he scored a Distinction was entitled: How should Prudent Lenders structure the financing of Infrastructure Projects in developing countries? Lessons from the West African Gas Pipeline Project.
Between 1997 and 2005, he served as Seminar Coordinator at Adeyegbe & Co. where he led teams that organised National Seminars which provided avenues for the Federal Ministries of Aviation, Tourism, Petroleum, and Communications and their parastatals to come together with their private sector counterparts annually to generate ideas for the development of the various sectors. He later edited the Papers resulting from these Seminars and published them as Industry Journals. He subsequently served as a Resident Aviation Specialist engaged by the World Bank Privatisation Support Project to work with Nigeria’s Privatisation Agency – the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE). At BPE, he was involved with the review of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Act and advised the Nigerian government on the regulatory aspects of transport sector reforms covering: road, air, rail, and inland waterways.
Olusola was General Counsel at Africa Capital Alliance a private equity firm from 2008 to 2012 and thereafter, the Chief Regulatory/Government Relations Officer at Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company Plc. Since 2019, he has been with Cowrie Partners, a law firm where he coordinates the team responsible for the firm’s training programs for clients. In November 2022 he was admitted by the Faculty of Law and Criminology, Department of European, Public and International Law of Ghent University where he started working on his Ph.D. research titled: Regulatory Solutions to Plastic Pollution in Nigeria: Perspectives from Emerging International Norms and Best Practices. His Ph.D. supervisor is Prof. Hendrik Schoukens who is supported by Prof. Klaas Willaert. The external members of his Doctoral advisory committee are Prof. Carole Billiet (Hasselt University) and Prof. Makane Mbengue (University of Geneva).
