We have the sad duty to announce the sudden death of Dr Emily Webster, Assistant Professor in Environmental Law in the Department.
Emily came to Cambridge from KCL, where she had obtained both her LLM and her PhD. Her dissertation was entitled 'Decarbonisation, the State and the Fossil Fuel Sector: A transnational law analysis' and she carried her interest in climate change and the law into her first position at Cambridge, which was as a post-doctoral research associate at the Centre for Climate Engagement at Hughes Hall. There she worked on several projects, including a re-assessment of company directors' duties in the light of climate change. In 2021 she was appointed to a five-year fixed term lectureship in the Department of Land Economy and in May 2023 she was appointed to a new permanently funded Assistant Professorship in Environmental Law in the Department.
Emily was a deeply insightful scholar and researcher. She co-produced two edited books, one on transnational environmental law and one on transnational food security, and many peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, covering a wide range of environmental law and policy topics, including climate-related information disclosure law in the UK and France, the governance of bioenergy, the regulation of fracking, private finance as a means of meeting net zero goals and the problems for climate change posed by international energy treaties. She had several projects under way, including a project on how private law has influenced the planting of trees and an edited book on non-legal factors that might influence legal decision-makers in climate change-related disputes.
Emily was a dedicated and caring teacher of both undergraduate and postgraduate students. She taught undergraduate environmental law and MPhil courses in national, international and comparative environmental law. She also gave small group classes in tort law and company law. She was supervising or advising several PhD students, by whom her loss will be particularly sharply felt.
Emily gave her time willingly to efforts to widen the reach of Cambridge's admissions, especially in supporting open days, when she would patiently and considerately answer all and every question from prospective applicants.
Above all Emily was a wonderful person to work with - razor sharp in thought but at the same time caring and kind. Her loss is a terrible blow not only to her family, friends, students and colleagues but also to the future of environmental law.
We miss her.
David Howarth
Head of Department
We have made a book of condolence available at the Department of Land Economy's reception.
In addition, there is an online book of condolence for those unable to come to the Department, which can be accessed via the link below: