Introductory description

Global warming is perhaps the single biggest contemporary problem facing humanity – not least because it exacerbates poverty. It affects everyone, everywhere. Developing countries, which are least responsible for causing the problem, have fewest resources for adaptation and mitigation, are being hit first and worst.

The module addresses the science and economics of climate change as the basis for analyses of the limits and potential of the law in addressing the problem. We will discuss the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto protocol, the Paris Agreement, relevant principles of international environmental law, and national and regional strategies for dealing with climate change. We will debate the ethics of climate justice – what rich countries, rapidly developing countries and less developed states should do what, and why – the geopolitics of global warming, and the ethics and legal framework for possible geoengineering solutions. The module contains case studies on small island developing states in danger of being inundated by rising sea levels, the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage, the REDD+ framework on deforestation, human rights, and climate displaced persons.

Module web page

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

• The Anthropocene
• Climate change and development
• Sustainable development
• Climate science and Earth System science
• The economics of global heating
• International environmental law and governance
• Law as problem or solution
• Climate displacement and migration
• Human rights, including indigenous rights
• Carbon markets and taxes
• Climate justice

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate an acceptable level of knowledge of climate science and environmental economics and the impact of global warming on the global South.
• Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the interactive roles of applying law to social, political and economic problems; evaluate the logic and empirical claims of rival arguments; identify assump-tions; follow extended trains of argument; understand the relations between law and non-legal forms of thought, and the practical implications of theory.
• Develop written and oral advocacy skills in the analysis, preparation and presentation of climate change law and international environment law, the global economy and related activities.
• Experience and practice the planning, negotiation and delivery of climate change law environment law, economic and legal analysis related activities including research, drafting/writing, and oral advocacy.
• Use a variety of information and communication technologies in researching, drafting and presenting class work
• Work effectively with others and to organise collective responses to identified climate change and global environment issues
• Understand the significance of developing appropriate team-working practices and behaviours.
• Research the role of law in relation to these subjects
• Investigate the legal problems and implications of studying environment law and the global economy for particular constituencies
• Understand the contextual operation and implementation of climate change and environmental issues, human rights and development and the practical opportunities, processes, requirements and constraints affecting the pursuit and promotion of development and human rights projects
• Evaluate and analyse the significance of practical problems in the context of law, international development and human rights
• Reflect upon their experience and develop alternative and improved responses to identified problems where necessary.
• Participate in examples of oral advocacy in lecture sessions
• Observe the professional and ethical responsibilities relevant to climate change and environmental law
• Demonstrate advanced written and oral presentational skills

Indicative reading list

Adelman, Sam (2010), "Rethinking human rights: the impact of the climate change on the dominant discourse" in Humphreys, S. (ed.), Climate Change and Human Rights (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge)
Adelman, Sam (2013) "Rio+20: sustainable injustice in a time of crises", Journal of Human Rights and the Environment Vol. 4 No. 1, March 2013,6-31
Barstow Macgraw, Daniel & Hawke, Lisa D. (2007) in Bodansky, Brunnee and Hey (eds.), Oxford Handbook of Environmental Law (Oxford University Press: Oxford
Bosselman, Klaus (2013) "Sustainable Development" in Alam, S. et al. Routledge Handbook of International Environmental Law (Routledge: Abingdon)
Eckersley, Robyn (2009), "Just Carbon Trading?" in Moss, Jeremy (ed.) Climate Change and Social Justice (Melbourne University Press: Melbourne)
European Commission "The EU Emissions Trading System"
Gilbertson, Tamra and Reyes, Oscar (2009), Carbon Trading: How it works and why it fails (Dag HammarskjOld Foundation)
Harris, Paul (2009), World Ethics and Climate Change: From International to Global Justice (Edinburgh University Press: Edinburgh)
Higgins, Polly (2010) Eradicating Ecocide (Shepheard-Walwyn: London)
Higgins, Polly (2012) Earth is Our Business: Changing the rules of the game (Shepheard-Walwyn: London)
Higgins, Polly; Short, Damien and South, Nigel (2012): Protecting the planet after Rio — the need for a crime of ecocide, Criminal Justice Matters 90:1, 4-5
Hopwood, Bill; Mellor, Mary and O'Brien, Geoff (2005) "Sustainable Development: Mapping Different Approaches", Sustainable Development 13, 38-52
Humphreys, Stephen (2010) "Competing claims: human rights and climate harms" in Humphreys, S. (ed.), Climate Change and Human Rights (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge)
Kettune, Marianne & ten Brink, Patrick (2012) "Nature, green economy and sustainable development: The outcomes of UN Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development", Nature Conservation 2:1-6
McAdam, Jane (2012) Climate Change, Forced Migration and International Law (Oxford University Press: Oxford)
Seo, Kihwan and Rodriguez, Natalia (2012) "Land Grab, Food Security and Climate Change: A Vicious Circle in the Global South" in Chhetri, Netra (ed.) Human and Social Dimensions of Climate Change (InTech).
Zetter, Roger (2010) "Protecting People Displaced by Climate Change: Some Conceptual Challenges" in McAdam, J. (ed) Climate Change and Displacement: Multidisciplinary Perspectives (Hart Publishing: Oxford)

View reading list on Talis Aspire

Subject specific skills

Subject knowledge and understanding:
Demonstrate an acceptable level of knowledge of climate science and environmental economics and the impact of global warming on the global South.
Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the interactive roles of applying law to social, political and economic problems; evaluate the logic and empirical claims of rival arguments; identify assumptions; follow extended trains of argument; understand the relations between law and non-legal forms of thought, and the practical implications of theory.

Cognitive Skills:
Research the role of law in relation to these subjects,
Investigate the legal problems and implications of studying environment law and the global economy for particular constituencies
Understand the contextual operation and implementation of climate change and environmental issues, human rights and development and the practical opportunities, processes, requirements and constraints affecting the pursuit and promotion of development and human rights projects
Evaluate and analyse the significance of practical problems in the context of law, international development and human rights
Reflect upon their experience and develop alternative and improved responses to identified problems where necessary.

Subject-Specific/Professional Skills:
Participate in examples of oral advocacy in lecture sessions
Observe the professional and ethical responsibilities relevant to climate change and environmental law Demonstrate advanced written and oral presentational skills

Transferable skills

Key Skills:
Develop written and oral advocacy skills in the analysis, preparation and presentation of climate change law and international environment law, the global economy and related activities.
Experience and practice the planning, negotiation and delivery of climate change law environment law, economic and legal analysis related activities including research, drafting/writing, and oral advocacy.
Use a variety of information and communication technologies in researching, drafting and presenting class work
Work effectively with others and to organise collective responses to identified climate change and global environment issues; and
Understand the significance of developing appropriate team-working practices and behaviours.