LC4S083 - Climate Change and the Law 01 Sep 2022 - 31 Aug 2028 | Version 1

Associated Module Information

Module Code: LC4S083
Module Title: Climate Change and the Law
Faculty: Faculty of Business and Creative Industries
Faculty Group: Law
Faculty Sub Group: Law
Module Leader: Andrew Baker
Module Team: Sadaf Shariat, Iain Hammett, Hannah Menard
First Intended Intake: SEP 2022 Final Year of Intake: 2027
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 7
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes:
HECOS Code Weighting:

Document Version Information

Version 1
Valid From 01 Sep 2022
Valid To 31 Aug 2028

Module Aims

To enable students to develop:

• An in-depth understanding of international law relevant to the climate crisis
• A detailed knowledge of the applicable case law, statutes and regulations in the international context
• A critical analysis of relationship between environment and sustainable development, and liability for environmental damage

Content Summary

• Introduction to international law and the climate crisis
• Development and sources of international law relevant to the climate crisis
• General principles of international environmental law
• The United Nations and climate change
• Emission, carbon trading and environmental justice
• Ecocide and environmental accountability for environment destruction
• State responsibility for environmental damage
• Human right and the climate
• Environmental justice and sustainable development
• Corporate Social Responsibility and climate change
• Corporate governance and climate – Environment, Social and Governance (ESG)
• Commercial law and the climate
• Environment, green technology and Intellectual Property
• Environmental dispute resolution

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Lecture 20
Seminar 20
Independent Study 88
Directed Study 72
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Evidence a critical analysis of the law in respect of climate change.
LO2 Undertake detailed research, synthesise and present complex legal issues in a coherent manner relevant to the study of climate change.

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Presentation (Asynchronous) 1 A prepared oral presentation by a candidate before assessor(s) and possibly peers, where knowledge, technical content, ability to answer questions and presentational skills are assessed. 15 N/A 50 No 40
Asynchronous Assessment Essay 1 Critical analysis of an aspect of international law relevant to the climate crisis 0 2000 50 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Presentation (Asynchronous) 1
Essay 1

Reading List

Main Texts
Dupuy & Viñuales, International Environmental Law, Cambridge University Press.
Mayer, The International Law on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press
Morgera, Corporate Environmental Accountability in International Law, Oxford University Press.
Brown, Intellectual Property, Climate Change and Technology: Managing National Legal Intersections, Relationships and Conflicts, Elgar.

Recommended as Additional / Supplementary Reading
Crawford, Brownlie’s Principles of Public International Law, Chapters 14-15, Oxford University Press.
Shaw, International Law, Chapter 14, Cambridge University Press.
Holmes, Middelschulte and Snoep, Competition Law, Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability, Concurrences.
Munro, Emissions Trading Schemes under International Economic Law, Oxford University Press.
Farber & Peeters (eds.), Climate Change Law, Elgar.

Journals
• Environmental Law Review
• Oxford Journal of Environmental Law
• Yearbook of International Environmental Law
• Environmental Policy and Law
• Harvard Environmental Law Review
• Journal of Environmental Law and Practice
• Stanford Environmental Law Journal