Module: Climate Change Law

Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

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Date posted: September 2024

Module Title	Climate Change Law
Module Code	LG5035 (ITS) / LAW1061 (Banner)
Faculty	Humanities & Social Sciences	School	Law & Government
Module Co-ordinator	Goran Dominioni
Module Teachers	Diarmuid Torney, Iain McMenamin
NFQ level	9	Credit Rating	10
Pre-requisite	Not Available
Co-requisite	Not Available
Compatibles	Not Available
Incompatibles	Not Available

Coursework Only

Description

This module seeks to expose students to the key legal frameworks emerging from international, EU and domestic law designed to address climate change through adaptation and mitigation. The module examines the evolution of legal measures to address climate change at the international level, and explores their current iteration. It critically assesses the measures taken at EU level, through both transnational regulation and subnational measures. It engages with measures taken at the domestic level in Ireland to implement Union law provisions.

Learning Outcomes

1. Show a systematic understanding of state-of-the-art knowledge regarding key challenges associated with combating climate change, drawing on legal research at the forefront of this field.
2. Apply in-depth understanding and critical awareness of how legal structures constrain and enable responses to climate change; in-depth understanding and critical awareness of how challenges can be overcome and what role legal actors can play.
3. Demonstrate a range of standard and specialised research or tools and techniques in the field of Climate Change Law; demonstrate an ability to utilise theoretical and methodological legal approaches to address research problems. of enquiry.
4. Select from complex and advanced skills across the field of Climate Change Law; develop new skills in the field of Climate Change Law.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Lecture	24	2 hour lecture. Class discussion expected
Independent Study	226	Research, Reading, Completing Assignment
Total Workload: 250

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Topic 1
International Environmental Law and the development of legal instruments to tackle climate change

Topic 2
The Conference of the Parties system and the Kyoto Protocol

Topic 3
The Paris Agreement

Topic 4
Climate Change as a Human Rights Issue

Topic 5
International Litigation on Climate Change

Topic 6
The EU ETS and other inter-state emissions trading systems

Topic 7
Effort Sharing Decision

Topic 8
Sub-national responses and poly-centric governance – Covenant of Mayors

Topic 9
Ireland’s legislative response to climate change

Topic 10
Action at local authority and state agency level

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Course Work Breakdown
Essay	Traditional 2,500 word report on specific issue	50%	Week 12
Presentation	Students present their research on a topic of their choice related to climate change law.	35%	n/a
Participation	Each student provides feedback to another student on their presentation. The aim is to help the colleague to improve their work.	15%	n/a

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories: Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module. Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module. Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

Sanja Bogojević: 2016, Climate Change Law and Policy in the European Union, OUP,
Edwin Woerdman, Martha Roggenkamp, Marijn Holwerda: 2015, Essential EU Climate Law, Edward Elgar,
Delimatsis, Panagiotis, editor: 2016, Research Handbook on Climate Change and Trade Law, Edward Elgar Publishing,
S.E. Weishaar: 2016, Research Handbook on Emissions Trading, Edward Elgar Publishing,
Posner, Eric A; Weisbach, David A: 2010, Climate Change Justice, Princeton University Press,

Other Resources

None