Arjuna Dibley
Arjuna Dibley

I am an Assistant Professor, Advisor and Board Member working at the intersection of law, economics and sustainability.

Academia

I am an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Law at the National University of Singapore. My research considers how law and legal institutions impact sustainability and economic outcomes. My current research focuses on sustainable and climate finance, the role of state-capitalist institutions in impacting sustainability and liability issues. I draw on legal and social science methods in my research, and work with scholars in other disciplines.

At NUS, I teach a specialised seminar on the Law and Economics of Climate Change and Torts.

In addition to my NUS faculty position, I am an:

I hold a doctorate from Stanford University focusing on the law and economics of climate change (as a General Sir John Monash Scholar).

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Featured Publications

Recent publications
Sustainable finance metrics and impacts on access to climate finance
Sustainable finance metrics and impacts on access to climate finance

We explore whether 'sustainable finance' metrics designed to impact access to climate finance for low and middle income countries.

A. Dibley, et al. 'Biases in ‘sustainable finance’ metrics could hinder lending to those that need it most' Nature 634, 294-297 (2024)doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-03246-z

Quantifying climate liability risks
Quantifying climate liability risks

We explain the significance of climate change liability risks, how they are neglected and five different approaches for measuring these risks.

T. Wetzer, R. Stuart-Smith and A.Dibley, ‘ Climate risk assessments must engage with the law’, Science, 383, 6679, 152-154 (2024).

Why do some state-owned companies innovate more than others?
Why do some state-owned companies innovate more than others?

This paper sets out a theory of ‘green’ innovation at state-owned enterprises (SOEs), which accounts for the legal and financial structure of these firms.

A. Dibley, ‘When does “Leviathan” innovate? A Legal Theory of Clean Technological Change at Government-Owned Electric Utilities’, Harvard Environmental Law Review, 47, 135-205 (2023).

Decarbonizing state-owned power companies
Decarbonizing state-owned power companies

Through a comparison of state-owned power companies in middle income countries we look at some of the barriers and potential approaches for decarbonizing these high emitting firms.

P. Benoit, A. Clark, M. Schwartz and A, Dibley, Decarbonization in state-owned power companies: Lessons from a comparative analysis. Journal of Cleaner Production (Apr, 2022).

Sovereign bonds and climate risks
Sovereign bonds and climate risks

We study sovereign bond prospectuses issued during the COVID-19 pandemic and find that few countries considered how climate change risks may impact repayment.

A. Dibley, T. Wetzer and C. Hepburn, ‘National COVID debts: climate change imperils countries’ ability to repay’, Nature, 592, 184-187 (2021).

Advisory Roles

I sit on the board and otherwise support organizations in my areas of interest. I am currently:

Building on several years in legal practice and in advisory roles, I also continue consult on projects within my areas of expertise across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. I have worked with large asset managers, global philanthropies, development finance institutions and NGOs.

Please get in touch if you are interested in learning more.

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