COAST – Research center for climate, energy and sustainability law
COAST is a research center for climate, energy, and sustainability law with a thematic focus on the ocean, marine environment, and maritime-related activities. The center hosts a leading research community on legal frameworks and regulatory development for the green transition.
About the research centre
COAST is dedicated to the legal frameworks of the green transition. With a particular focus on the ocean, the marine environment and maritime activities, the centre brings together public and private law perspectives. It examines how law can govern, enable and legitimise the transition to a low-emission society.
Our research is organised into three pillars:
- Pillar I – Complex infrastructure in the climate and energy transition: regulation, financing and contractual structures for large-scale energy and infrastructure projects.
- Pillar II – Land–sea interactions in resource management: integrated governance across sectors, levels of government and legal regimes.
- Pillar III – Legal innovation and comparative perspectives: new theoretical, methodological and regulatory approaches to climate, energy and sustainability law.
The Centre is led by Professor Ignacio Herrera Anchustegui.
COAST Research Projects
- NorthCarb
An interdisciplinary project on how the regulation of carbon transport and storage in the North Sea can enable cross-border carbon capture and storage (CCS).
- WickedWaters
A Nordic research network developing new legal tools for green and sustainable ocean governance, balancing growing maritime industries against environmental protection.
- SEAS COFUND
UiB’s cross-faculty programme for postdoctoral researchers in marine sustainability, involving all seven faculties and many external partners.
- GNTS
A Nordic research network on governance frameworks for the energy transition at sea, covering marine infrastructure, the law of the sea, maritime and shipping law, and contractual frameworks.
- ECOBUDGETS (CET)
A project helping municipalities and county authorities put climate budgets and nature accounts to active use in political and administrative decision-making.
- HyValue (NORCE) (external link)
A Norwegian Centre for Environment-friendly Energy Research (FME) developing knowledge and solutions for hydrogen and ammonia value chains, from production to end use.
- ImpactWind (NORCE) (external link)
A project to make offshore wind development in the North Sea faster and more sustainable, including through an open knowledge database that streamlines the licensing process.
- EVOLVE (CICERO) (external link)
A project examining how the EU’s electricity market reform is implemented towards 2040, and what it means for Norway.
Featured
People
Centre manager
Ignacio Herrera Anchustegui Head of center
Rosa Manzo Academic coordinator
Maria Holme Lidal Administrative leader
Centre members
Rudiger Tscherning Academic responsibility for Pillar I
Monica Pons Hernandez Academic responsibility for Pillar I
Siv Elén Årskog Vedvik Academic responsibility for Pillar II
Ingunn Myklebust Academic responsibility for Pillar II
Torhild Nordtveit Academic responsibility for Pillar III
Sören Koch Academic responsibility for Pillar III