International Environmental Law

This course examines the role of international law in the management of environmental challenges. The course begins by identifying significant global environmental problems, exploring the dynamics that generate and perpetuate them, and tracing the evolution (and critiques) of the principle of Sustainable Development. The course will then consider legal approaches for meeting select global environmental challenges, such as the protection of the atmosphere and oceans, the control of hazardous chemicals, and the preservation of biodiversity. The course will conclude with an examination of the impacts of environmental degradation and climate change on vulnerable communities and the emergence of alternatives to the dominant development paradigm. Throughout the course, we will contrast the perspectives of countries in the Global North and Global South with respect to the causes of and solutions to global environmental challenges. There are no pre-requisites or co-requisites but International Law is helpful.