Spring 2024 Sustainable Development UN3355 section 001

CLIMATE CHANGE AND LAW

Call Number 12610
Day & Time
Location
TR 1:20pm-2:40pm
104 JEROME L GRE
Points 3
Grading Mode Standard
Approvals Required None
Instructor Michael Gerrard
Type LECTURE
Method of Instruction In-Person
Course Description The purpose of this course is to provide students with a broad introduction to the field of climate law in the United States and at the international level. The course begins with an overview of the causes and effects of global climate change and the methods available to control and adapt to it. We then examine the negotiation, implementation and current status of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Copenhagen Accord. The focus then turns to the past and proposed actions of the U.S. Congress, the executive branch and the courts, as well as regional, state and municipal efforts. The Clean Air Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act will receive special attention. We evaluate the various legal tools that are available to address climate change, including cap-and-trade schemes; carbon taxation; command-and-control regulation; litigation; securities disclosures; and voluntary action. The roles of energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, carbon capture and sequestration, and forestry and agriculture each receive close attention. Implications for international human rights, international trade, environmental justice, and international and intergenerational equity are discussed. The course concludes with examination of the special challenges posed by China; proposals for adaptation and geoengineering; and business opportunities and the role of lawyers. Offered in the Spring.
Web Site Vergil
Department Earth Institute
Enrollment 39 students (40 max) as of 4:05PM Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Subject Sustainable Development
Number UN3355
Section 001
Division Interfaculty
Note Register via waitlist. Students must attend disc. session
Section key 20241SDEV3355W001