Module Information

Module Identifier

LC37720

Module Title

Climate Change and Environmental Law

Academic Year

2024/2025

Co-ordinator

Mr Gerald Schaefer

Semester

Semester 1

Pre-Requisite

CT10120, CT20120, LC10120 or LC20120

Exclusive (Any Acad Year)

LC27720

Reading List

View example reading list on Aspire

Course Delivery

Assessment

Assessment Type	Assessment length / details	Proportion
Semester Assessment	Essay 2500 Words	50%
Semester Exam	2 Hours Exam	50%
Supplementary Assessment	Essay 2500 Words	50%
Supplementary Exam	2 Hours Exam	50%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

Understand the fundamental principles that have shaped and continue to guide national and international environmental law and policies

Appreciate the role of international and supranational law and their impact of domestic UK law.

Comprehend the various ways of regulating environmental issues.

Identify the public institutions and private entities that are involved in environmental law and policy.

Appreciate the specific issues concerning corporate entities and their environmental impact.

Understand the role of private and criminal law in the overall system of environmental regulation and protection.

Describe and comprehend the specific origins and challenges of climate change, biodiversity protection and pollution prevention and control.

Brief description

Environmental challenges – a warming planet, oceans full of plastic, accelerating extinction rates of animal and plant species due to the destruction of habitats, and increasing pollution of air, land and water – are amongst the most complex problems faced by today’s societies. These problems also pose multiple challenges for legal control and regulation. The Earth’s ecosystems are highly complex, and our understanding despite all the advances of science still subject to significant uncertainty. Environmental impacts also cross jurisdictional and disciplinary boundaries, involving problems of collective action often seemingly at odds with private interests and the generally human focused approach of legal responses. This module explores this vital area of law and addresses the struggle to achieve control of environmental problems against a backdrop of global politics and economics, and the role of a range of actors - from corporations to lawyers, activists, and even ourselves - in seeking solutions to these problems.

Content

The need for skilled lawyers who critically understand the role of law in responding to environmental problems, such as air pollution, climate change, biodiversity loss and marine degradation, is growing. The module will equip students with an understanding of the diverse ways law responds to environmental problems, and the specific challenges that traditional systems of law and governance face in finding effective solutions to these problems.
The course looks at the protection of the environment at national, supranational and international level and explores some topical issues at the heart of this dynamic field. Students will gain a critical understanding of the foundational principles and concepts which guide environmental law. The course will then introduce international and UK systems of environmental governance, policy making and enforcement. The issue of accountability of multinational corporations will be looked at, followed by the roles that private and criminal law play in addition to public law.
The module will then examine a range of highly contemporary environmental issues in detail, including climate change, nature conservation/biodiversity protection, and pollution control.

Module Skills

Skills Type	Skills details
Application of Number	n/a
Communication	Seminar discussions and the negotiation exercise will develop individual and group oral argument.
Improving own Learning and Performance	Seminar participation, negotiation exercise and exam preparation will develop different aspects of personal academic development, from understanding and referencing sources through to the dissemination of ideas to others orally, and via written communication skills.
Information Technology	Library and research skills are fundamental to preparation for seminars and exam.
Personal Development and Career planning	Recommended topic for the legal profession.
Problem solving	Preparation for seminars, negotiation exercise and exam will involve problem scenarios for students to tackle.
Research skills	These skills will be developed through preparation for seminars, negotiation exercise and the exam.
Subject Specific Skills	Reading and understanding relevant materials in the field of Environmental Law.
Team work	Group activities and discussion in seminars.

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 6