Kerryn Brent

Dr Kerryn Brent

Senior Lecturer

Adelaide Law School

Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Kerryn researches in the fields of international and environmental law, examining how legal systems can facilitate effective responses to climate change. Her research primarily focuses on the governance of emerging climate intervention technologies. These are proposals to reduce global temperatures by drawing carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere or by reflecting a percentage of sunlight away from the Earth. Leading scientists and international organisations indicate that carbon dioxide removal and/or solar radiation management will be essential to keep global mean temperatures with the range of 1.5-2oC necessary to avoid catastrophic climate change impacts. However, these proposals present significant environmental, geopolitical and social risks that require comprehensive governance at international and domestic levels. Kerryn’s research considers how legal systems can meet these governance challenges and contribute to responsible climate intervention research and implementation.

In 2017, Kerryn was awarded her doctorate on the topic of customary international law and the governance of solar radiation management from the University of Tasmania. Since then, her research has also focused on the governance of marine SRM and CDR technologies.

In 2023, Kerryn was recognised as an innovator in leading Australia's response to climate change by the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, as part of its exhibition and podcast, 100 Climate Conversations. 

Kerryn is a Deputy Director of the Australian Forum for Climate Intervention Governance https://www.utas.edu.au/climate-intervention-governance.

 

  • Journals
    Year Citation
    2023 Simon, M., McDonald, J., & Brent, K. (2023). Transboundary Implications of China’s Weather Modification Programme. Transnational Environmental Law, 12(3), 594-622.
    DOI Scopus1
    2023 Soliman Hunter, T., Brent, K., Wawryk, A., Pettit, J., & Camatta, N. (2023). Hydrogen production in Australia from renewable energy: no doubt green and clean, but is it mean?. Journal of Energy and Natural Resources Law, 45 pages.
    DOI Scopus1
    2023 Golding, G., McCormack, P., & Brent, K. (2023). The Changing Climate of Australian Employment Law. University of New South Wales Law Journal, 46(4), 1284-1313.
    2023 Brent, K. (2023). Regulating Australia’s Green Hydrogen Industry — Objectives and Challenges. U. of Adelaide Law Research Paper, (2022).
    2023 Horton, J. B., Brent, K., Dai, Z., Felgenhauer, T., Geden, O., McDonald, J., . . . Xu, J. (2023). Solar geoengineering research programs on national agendas: a comparative analysis of Germany, China, Australia, and the United States. Climatic Change, 176(4), 18 pages.
    DOI Scopus1 WoS1
    2023 McDonald, J., Brent, K., McCormack, P., & McGee, J. (2023). GREENHOUSE GAS REMOVAL IN AUSTRALIAN CLIMATE LAW: A POSITIVE ROLE FOR NEGATIVE EMISSIONS. University of New South Wales Law Journal, 46(1), 79-110.
    Scopus2
    2022 McCormack, P., Jones, A., Wawryk, A., Brent, K., & Wong, V. (2022). The new Australian Blue Carbon Method is a tool for mitigating climate change while restoring coastal ecosystems: a potential win-win. Australian Environment Review, 37(2).
    2021 Boettcher, M., Brent, K., Buck, H. J., Low, S., McLaren, D., & Mengis, N. (2021). Navigating Potential Hype and Opportunity in Governing Marine Carbon Removal. Frontiers in Climate, 3, 8 pages.
    DOI Scopus24 WoS12
    2021 Keller, D. P., Brent, K., Bach, L. T., & Rickels, W. (2021). The Role of Ocean-based Negative Emission Technologies for Climate Mitigation. Frontiers in Climate, 3, 1-3.
    DOI Scopus2
    2020 Simon, M., Brent, K., McDonald, J., & McGee, J. (2020). Enhancing the Weather: Governance of Weather Modification Activities in Australia. Environmental and Planning Law Journal, 37(6), 698-719.
    Scopus1 WoS1
    2020 McGee, J., Brent, K., McDonald, J., & Heyward, C. (2020). International Governance of Solar Radiation Management: Does the ENMOD Convention Deserve a Closer Look?. Carbon & Climate Law Review, 14(4), 294-305.
    DOI Scopus2
    2020 McCormack, P., McDonald, J., & Brent, K. A. (2020). Governance of Land-based Negative-emission Technologies to Promote Biodiversity Conservation: Lessons from Australia. Climate Law, 10(2), 123-150.
    DOI WoS3
    2019 Brent, K., & Tofighi, A. (2019). Climate Engineering and the Law. TRANSNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAW, 8(1), 197-202.
    DOI
    2019 McDonald, J., McGee, J., Brent, K., & Burns, W. (2019). Governing geoengineering research for the Great Barrier Reef. Climate Policy, 19(7), 801-811.
    DOI Scopus30 WoS29
    2018 McGee, J., Brent, K., & Burns, W. (2018). Geoengineering the oceans: an emerging frontier in international climate change governance. Australian Journal of Maritime and Ocean Affairs, 10(1), 67-80.
    DOI Scopus19
    2018 Brent, K., McGee, J., McDonald, J., & Rohling, E. (2018). International law poses problems for negative emissions research. Nature Climate Change, 8(6), 451-453.
    DOI Scopus15 WoS9
    2018 Gogarty, B. (2018). Glacier engineering must mind the law. NATURE, 560(7717), 167.
    DOI Europe PMC1
    2018 Brent, K., McDonald, J., McGee, J., & Gogarty, B. (2018). Carbon Dioxide Removal Geoengineering. AUSTRALIAN LAW JOURNAL, 92(10), 830-838.
    WoS5
    2017 Brent, K. A. (2017). The Certain Activities1 case: What implications for the no-harm rule?. Asia Pacific Journal of Environmental Law, 20(1), 28-36.
    DOI Scopus6 WoS5
    2015 Moore, N., Benmazhar, H., Brent, K., Du, H., Iese, V., Kone, S., . . . Zhuo, Z. (2015). Climate Engineering: Early Reflections on a Complex Conversation. Climate Law, 5(2-4), 295-301.
    DOI
    2015 Maguire, A., McGee, J., & Brent, K. (2015). Does the 'No-Harm' Rule Have a Role in Preventing Transboundary Harm and Harm to the Global Atmospheric Commons from Geoengineering?. Climate Law, 5(1), 35-63.
    DOI Scopus11
    2015 Brent, K., McGee, J., & McDonald, J. (2015). The governance of geoengineering: An emerging challenge for international and domestic legal systems?. Journal of Law, Information and Science, 24(1), 1-33.
    Scopus9
    2014 Mcgee, J., & Brent, K. (2014). On Environmental Governance: Sustainability, Efficiency and Equity. REVIEW OF EUROPEAN COMPARATIVE & INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAW, 23(3), 382-384.
    DOI
    2012 Brent, K., & McGee, J. (2012). The regulation of geoengineering: A gathering storm for international climate change policy?. Air Quality and Climate Change, 46(4), 22-27.

  • Book Chapters
    Year Citation
    2021 Brent, K. (2021). Solar Geoengineering is Prohibited under International Law. In B. Mayer, & A. Zahar (Eds.), Debating Climate Law (pp. 274-284). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
    DOI
    2020 Brent, K. (2020). Marine geoengineering governance and the importance of compatibility with the law of the sea. In J. McDonald, J. McGee, & R. Barnes (Eds.), Research Handbook on Climate Change, Oceans and Coasts (pp. 442-460). Cheltenham, Glos., United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing.
    DOI
    2018 Brent, K. (2018). Solar Radiation Management Geoengineering and Strict Liability for Ultrahazardous Activities. In N. Craik, C. S. G. Jefferies, S. L. Seck, & T. Stephens (Eds.), Global Environmental Change and Innovation in International Law (pp. 161-179). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
    DOI Scopus4 WoS2
    2017 Brent, K., McGee, J., & McDonald, J. (2017). Negative emissions and geoengineering technologies: an emerging challenge for international and domestic legal systems. In A. A. de Carli, E. Aydos, & P. C. S. Avzaradel (Eds.), O Estado Regulador no Cenario Ambiental (pp. 406-466). Sao Paulo: Instituto Planeta Verde.
    - Burdon, P. D., & Martel, J. (n.d.). The Routledge Handbook of Law and the Anthropocene. Routledge.
    DOI

  • Report for External Bodies
    Year Citation
    2019 Brent, K., Burns, W., & McGee, J. (2019). Governance of Marine Geoengineering.

2023

Green Adelaide Blue Carbon Futures Grant, "Navigating the legal regime for blue carbon projects in South Australia", K Brent, A Jones, A Wawryk & P McCormack, $46,833.33.

2021     

Australian Research Council Discovery Grant, Governing solar radiation management research, development and deployment DP210102296, J McDonald, J McGee, K Brent $246,805

University of Adelaide FAME Digi+ Grant Scheme, The role of law in advancing carbon abatement technologies and markets to support Australia's transition to net-zero emissions, K Brent, A Jones, A Wawryk & P McCormack $14,702.

2019            

Department of Environment & Energy, Negative emissions technologies: survey and outlook study, P. Boyd, M. Ellwood, J. Yu, M. Howden, T. Senden, S. Eggins, E.J. Rohling, J. Borevits, J. McGee, J. McDonald, A. McIntosh, K. Brent, P. McCormack, I. Qureshi, S. Mazouz, C. O’Neill, B. Colvin, H. Adams, M. Clark, $80,000

College of Arts, Law & Education Hothouse Program (UTAS), Geoengineering and national security: the need for good governance, K. Brent, J. McGee, J. McDonald, P. Boyd, $9,466

College of Arts, Law & Education Hothouse Program (UTAS), Renewable Hydrogen Partnership Project, H. Lovell, J. McGee, K. Brent, F. Gale, E. Franklin, C. Levitt, $9,375

2018            

Centre for International Governance Innovation (Canada), Developing International Governance of Marine-Based Geoengineering, W. Burns, J. McGee, K. Brent, $26,118

2017            

College of Arts and Law Hothouse Research Enhancement Programme (UTAS), Regulating Plan B: Developing Legal Frameworks for Multiscale Governance of Geoengineering, J. McGee, J. McDonald, K. Brent, B. Gogarty, P. Boyd, $7,793

Institute for Social Change (UTAS), PhD Write-up Scholarship, K.Brent, $4000

LAW 1507 Torts

LAW 2568 Climate Change Law

LAW 2511  Environmental Law

LAW 2571 Law of the Sea

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2023 Principal Supervisor Lessons for Solar Radiation Management Governance from Space Law Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Rachel Lauren Neef
    2021 Co-Supervisor Law of the sea is an inspiration by analogy to the development of space law. Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mrs Tracy Lynn Reynolds
  • Position: Senior Lecturer
  • Phone: 83132878
  • Email: kerryn.brent@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Ligertwood, floor First Floor
  • Org Unit: Adelaide Law School
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