CGA Announces Winner of 2025 Greener Arbitration Writing Competition
Campaign for Greener Arbitrations-North America Committee and the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University
2025 Greener Arbitration Writing Competition
The Campaign for Greener Arbitrations (CGA) is pleased to announce Kenny Santiadi, an independent researcher from Indonesia, as the winner of its writing competition organized in collaboration with the CGA North America Committee and the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University (Haub Law). The inaugural edition of the competition was supported by 18 arbitral institutions and organizations from North America and beyond. The purpose of the competition is to encourage and recognize excellent legal scholarship related to the mission of the CGA: to reduce the environmental impact of international arbitration and promote more sustainable arbitration practices.
Mr. Santiadi’s winning paper, “The Arbitrator’s Environmental Fiduciary Duty: A Normative Reconstruction of Legal Ethics in International Arbitration”, examines whether arbitrators have a legal obligation to minimize the environmental impact of arbitration proceedings. While international arbitration is often viewed as a neutral and efficient dispute resolution system, the paper highlights its significant carbon footprint and underscores the need for a normatively binding legal framework capable of transforming The Green Protocol from aspiration into obligation.
The paper introduces the concept of an Environmental Fiduciary Duty of the Arbitrator, contending that environmental responsibility naturally flows from existing arbitral legal obligations, including duties of impartiality, efficiency, sustainable development, good faith, and respect for public policy. It demonstrates how arbitration rules, international jurisprudence, and public policy principles can support the integration of sustainability into binding legal and ethical standards. The paper further outlines practical pathways for implementation, including greener case management techniques, increased reliance on virtual hearings, and the integration of environmental considerations into arbitral ethics and procedures.
The winner was awarded a US$5,000 prize, and his paper will be published in the Pace Environmental Law Review, further contributing to scholarly and professional dialogue at the intersection of environmental law and international arbitration.
The jury of the 2025 Greener Arbitration Writing Competition was composed of: Professors Jill Gross and Joshua Galperin (Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University); Professor Tamar Meshel (University of Alberta Faculty of Law), Lucy Greenwood (independent arbitrator and founder of the CGA), William Crosby (member of the CGA North America Committee and SVP, Associate General Counsel, Managing Attorney and LATAM Regional Coordinator at Interpublic), and Olivier André (Co-Chair of the CGA North America Committee and Client Relationship Advisor at Freshfields).
The CGA congratulates Mr. Santiadi on this achievement and thanks all participants for their valuable contributions to advancing sustainable arbitration. His winning paper, “The Arbitrator’s Environmental Fiduciary Duty: A Normative Reconstruction of Legal Ethics in International Arbitration”, can be accessed in our internal repository, along with other submissions to the 2025 Greener Arbitration Writing Competition approved for publication here.